Hoshi no Kodomo: A New Generation
by xXxCherryBlossomxXx
Summary: When a mysterious man comes into Li Sakura and Syaoran's lives, they resort to the only thing they can think of to keep their children safe: hide and seperate them. Too bad they ARE their children, and fate ends up working against the Li couple. SxS later
1. Prologue

_**Summary: **There was only one last gift she could ever give to her children. Her eyes fell on Syaoran, who only nodded with approval. The time had come. . .whether Sakura or Syaoran were ready. If they were going to save the two most precious things in their lives, they'd have to sacrifice it all. And then, perhaps, they could be safe. And, perhaps, it will all be for the better. If only. . .If only. . ._

_**Disclaimer:**__I do NOT own the characters nor CardCaptor Sakura/CardCaptors. All rights to CLAMP. This was written for fan purpose __ONLY__, hence the name __FAN__fic. _

_**Note from the author: **__Konnichiwa, mina sama! It's Rai again! I hope this fic intrigues you. I'm going out of my lil box and trying something new, instead of writing "realistic fics" that only have to do with Sakura-x-Syaoran.. So please, don't get upset that it's different. If anything. . .this only really begins as a CCS fic and continues into something new! Guess you'll have to read and find out what I mean! _

_**Thanks! **__Arigatou, Jade-chan! Jade-chan (who is CONSTANTLY making fun of my grammar and spelling mistakes whenever I write! lol) was amazing! She was my beta-reader for this, and I hope she continues to be my beta through this fic and my future ones. I honesty couldn't have finished this chapter without her catching my lil mistakes! THANKS! _

_**-Prologue-**_

The woman backed into the corner of the bedroom, clutching two infants close to her chest. She trembled in fear as she heard the fighting draw nearer from the other side of the door. She could see the vibrant lights flashing from the crack underneath the closed door. Suddenly, everything went quiet. She dug her fingers into the blankets that swaddled the infants as her heart pounded furiously in her chest.

"SYAORAN!" She screamed as the door banged open and a man with chestnut hair fell to the ground, unconscious, close to her. She held the children closer to her and ran over to the man, falling to her knees beside him.

"SYAORAN!" She cried out again. "SYAORAAAN!" She watched in horror as his lips parted momentarily, but no sound came out. His hands still gripped his sword tightly, as if he were still fighting.

A cold, heartless laugh came form the shadows beyond the now open doorway. The sound made the womans blood run cold, and she could feel her body begin to shake as if she were cold.

A man wearing a long black cloak slowly stepped into the room, his hands behind his back. A hood covered all but his mouth that was turned up in a cruel, disgusting grin. He stopped in front of the family. His grin grew.

"Give up, Li-san." His cold voice snarled as he looked down at the frightened woman. "You have lost, I have won. There was no way you, nor that pathetic husband of yours, could ever have beaten me anyways."

The woman gulped, looking down at the unconscious Syaoran. He was beaten badly. Cuts and bruises ran along his entire body, and blood was matted through his hair. His left cheek and arm were embraced in both dried and fresh blood. He was broken. It was over.

"No," the woman said in almost a whisper. Her eyes shot from her husband towards the hooded man. Fire could be seen raging through her jade eyes; a sign of danger and determination. "I wont let you!"

She ripped a string off her neck that held a small charm. She mumbled something, an incarnation, as the charm grew from a small key to a staff. She held it out boldly, her eyes still ablaze. "DARK!"

The room grew dark. No one could see a thing. Before the cloaked man could do anything, she held the staff out again. "SLEEP!"

She head a dull thud, indicating her spell worked. The first spell wore off, and there in front of her laid the cloaked man. She sighed with relief and turned her head towards the corner of the room.

"You can come out now, Kero-chan." She said softly.

A small yellow teddy bear object walked out from the dark shadows of the corner. There was a small flash of light, and where the thing once stood there now stood a large golden lion. He walked over to the group, his large golden eyes confused and upset.

"Why didn't you let me help, Sakura? I could've helped!"

The woman named Sakura smiled sadly at the creature. "Gomen, but I cannot let anything happen to you."

The confused look in the beast eyes turned to anger. His voice suddenly rose. "I'm _your _guardian, Sakura! I'm here to protect _you_! You don't protect me! That isn't how it's suppose to be!"

Sakura ignored his loud outburst and continued in her calm, soft voice. "Please, I understand that perfectly. And I am grateful, really. But I ordered you to hide and stay hidden for a reason. I need you to stay safe, because I need you to do something important."

The golden beast's face seemed to calm down as he saw a tear run down her cheek. He walked over to her and rubbed his head against the cheek, stopping the tear from continuing its path down her face. "Gomen, Sakura. I shouldn't be questioning you." he pulled away and looked his mistress in the eyes. "What is it that must be done?" Although in his mind, after seeing that tear, he knew what she would be asking of him eventually.

The mother looked from her two infants in her arms, then to her husband before turning back to Keroberus; her eyes sad, yet determined.

"First," she began quietly, "we find some place safe. Then we will do what is required."

"Safer than here? Is there such a place?" The guardian asked confused.

"The shield to our house has been broken. He's found us, and my spell on him wont last much longer. He's too strong. We need someplace safe."

XxXxXxX

Syaoran groaned as he began to stir. His head was killing him. His eyes slowly opened to see a canopy of trees above him and, beyond that, the evenings stary sky.

A hand lightly touched his. It was familiar, and he didn't jump at the touch.

"Syaoran? How do you feel?"

He sat up off the damp forest floor and turned towards the woman gently holding his hand. He reached for his head, and gave another groan when he felt the bump just below his hairline. All he could smell was the thick metallic scent of blood. Hopefully, only his own.

"I couldn't protect you." he gritted his teeth and balled up his fist. "I couldn't protect you, or them." His fists were so tight, his fingernails dug in and broke the skin sending small drops of fresh blood down his hand.

"Don't worry about that, now." Sakura said soothingly. She gently squeezed his hand, making him loosen his tightly balled fist. "The important thing is that you're okay. You're safe."

"And the children?" A hint of panic rose in his voice.

Sakura forced a small smile and looked down beside her. Syaoran followed her gaze and sighed with relief. There, peacefully sleeping beside her, was two tightly wrapped babies.

"They're all right." Sakura could see the relief sketched across his face. He always had the softest look whenever he saw them. But Sakura's smile couldn't help but sink and her face rapidly became serious. "Syaoran, we have to do it. It's. . .it's the only way."

His smile fell as well, but he continued to observe the innocently sleeping infants who were oblivious to the danger and worries around them. "I know." he said, running a hand through his thick chestnut hair. "Are you sure you'll be able to do it, though?"

Tears began to form in the young mothers beautiful crystal-jade eyes. "I-I have to." she cleared her throat and blinked, trying to rid the tears rimming in her eyes. "A-and you?"

Sakura had seen Syaoran cry very seldom, but she was sure she could see the unfamiliar gloss in his eyes this time.

"As you said," he said quietly, "I. . .we. . .have to. There's no other way. I would do anything to keep them safe. Anything. . .as long as they're safe." He reached over to wipe away the tears running down his wifes cheek. "Please don't cry." he pleaded softly. "Please. . .I can't stand to see you cry when you're usually so strong. You have to be strong."

"I c-can't help it! I know i-it's best for them. . .but. . .but it still hurts!"

Syaoran leaned over and brought Sakura into a tight embrace. He felt her body shaking with fear, and soon her salty tears began to soak through his shirt and onto his shoulder. He didn't care. She dug her fingernails into his shoulder blades, and still, he didn't care. He merely continued to sooth his hand over her luscious, creamy brown hair.

How long they stayed in that comforting position is unknown. They only dared to release each other and return to their unfamiliar surroundings when they heard the distinctive sound of large wings beating through the air.

Two creatures flew down from the sky and landed in front of the couple with complete grace. The one was the golden-eyed beast, Keroberus. The other looked more human. His eyes were a piercing, cold blue and his hair was long and silver. One word that could describe him was elegant.

Sakura felt her legs begin to shake, and if it wasn't for Syaoran holding a firm grasp on her hand, she was sure she could have fallen. She was so scared. But, the time was now. It had to be now.

"Yue-san." Sakura tried to smile towards the winged man, but found it difficult. "Arigatou gozaimasu for coming so fast. Kero-chan had no problem finding you then?"

Yue nodded. "Keroberus told me about the man finding you. Why didn't you call upon me to help?"

"I could not have you nor Keroberus get hurt. I need you. . .to do something for me. For us." She corrected. It was one of the odd times she had used Kero's full name. She only used it when she was extremely angry. . .or extremely serious.

Kero took a step forward. "Then, it is time?" he asked quietly.

Syaoran nodded towards the guardian. "Hai."

Sakura left Syaoran's assuring grasp and bent down to pick up her two sleeping children. She walked over to the two guardians, and handed one to each of them. Syaoran, who was close behind her, securely tied his child onto Keroberus's back between his wings.

"You know what to do." She said firmly. Both guardians nodded in reply.

There was only one last gift she could ever give to her children. Her eyes fell on Syaoran, who only nodded with approval. She nodded, closing her eyes and holding her two hands open in front of her as if waiting for someone to put something into her hand. Her lips began to move, as if she were reciting a spell, but no words departed from her lips. A small light appeared in her palms. When the light stopped glowing, it was replaced by two charms on small silver chains.

Sakura walked over to Yue and lifted the first necklace up; it held a silver crescent moon with a small gold star in the centre. She placed it around her childs neck then leaned down to kiss it's soft, rosy cheek. Before she pulled away, she mumbled some quick words making a small light emit from the charm for a few seconds before dying off again. She smiled sadly, and then walked over to the second child.

"This will protect them, keep them hidden, from that man." she explained to the guardians as she lifted the second necklace, one with a golden sun charm and small silver star in the centre, and placed it over the baby's head. She repeated her movements; leaning down and kissing it's cheek then mumbling the same words as before. The same glow emitted from the second charm but, as quickly as the first, died off.

When she finished, she backed away from the second child and into her husbands waiting arms. He placed his arm securely around her waist and pulled her close, trying to comfort her in any way possible.

"Will they ever be able to find each other?" Yue asked his mistress.

Sakura closed her eyes as if she were in pain. Yet in reality, she was fighting back her unleashed tears. "Only if they wish to."

"How will that be possible?" Kero asked angrily. "They wont remember each other. They wont know about each other."

It was Syaoran's turn to speak. "They wont." He agreed. "But, they are twins with a special bond. Some would call it their 'twin-bond'. Something, like that, may pull them together someday."

"Now, please, it is time. Go." Sakura commanded. She watched, almost in horror, as her guardians flew away with the most precious things in her life — her only children.

Syaoran pulled her closer, allowing her head to fall to rest on his shoulder. There was no crying; he knew she was trying to be strong. And he had to be strong, for her sake. He began to gently run his fingertips over her arms.

It wasn't fair, he thought, that a mother should have to give up her children. Of course, he didn't say that. He, too, was fighting back unshed tears.

"It's for the best, Sakura." was all Syaoran could manage to say. Although he wasn't sure if he spoke those words to comfort his love, or more so himself. "They'll be safe. Yue-san and Keroberus-san will take care of them."

"I know." Sakura's voice was scarcely a whisper. "But it still hurts, Syaoran. And I'm afraid it always will. . .that I'll always feel this way. It'll never go away."

Syaoran leaned forward and rested his lips atop of his wifes head. "I know." He said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "I know."

But this story isn't about Sakura Li, previously known as Sakura Kinomoto.

Nor is it about her love and childhood friend, Syaoran Li.

This story is about two children and their struggle for survival.

**So...what did you think? Please tell me! I'm really nervous about this fic because, like I wrote earlier, I'm sort of going outside my usual 'writing-box' comfort. But I have high hopes that this fic will be good! I hope this intrigues****you enough to want to continue reading at least! **

**I'll post the first actual chapter up as soon as I possibly can, but sadly sigh I'm back in school. Which is why it's taken so long to post something new. So I'll try and get the chapter up (maybe) this weekend, but please keep in mind it's Easter weekend, and homework and junk. (Not including little sisters who are constantly kicking me off the computer! lol) **

**Again! Thanks for reading! Please review! **


	2. Chapter 1: Chance Meeting

_**Note from the Author: **__Konnichiwa, mina sama! Thanks for waiting so patiently for this chapter! I was lucky enough that my awesome Beta, Jade-chan, came home early and was able to edit the chapter! Like I promised, I posted more than one chapter so please forgive the tardiness! _

_As well, please remember that in Japan, when people are introduced, it goes by their family name (last name) then their given name. Please bear that in mind while reading the following chapters over!_

O-O-O-O

_**Chapter one: Chance Meeting**_

"Tsukiko-_chaaaan_ !" a girl with shoulder length jet-black hair and violet streaks fought her way through the crowded school hallway. She halted beside a girl who was peering inside an open locker. She had beautiful, soft chestnut hair that ran down the middle of her back with matching amber eyes.

The girl, Tsukiko, smiled at her friend as she closed her locker door. "Akimi-chan!" She smiled as she gave Akimi a quick hug. "This is crazy! There's so many people!"

Akimi re-entered the sea of students, pulling Tsukiko along with her as they pushed their way through the hall. "I know, but, wow! Can you believe it? We're actually here! We finally made it to Seijo High!" she squealed.

Tsukiko nodded in agreement. She had to admit, even though she was nervous about starting high school, she was extremely excited at the same time. Her and Akimi had already compared schedules, and she was happy to find out her and her best friend were in all but one class, their last class, together.

"Hai!" Tsukiko smiled. She began rooting through her bag and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. "Let's see. We have English first." She looked at the door they were passing and read the number. "The classroom is just down this hall, I think."

An annoyed groan came from Akimi, as she mumbled something that Tsukiko wasn't able to pick up.

Tsukiko was about to ask her what she had said, but was cut off when she felt a body collide with hers. She stumbled back a step, but maintained standing up.

"Gomen nasai!" Two voices answered to each other at the same time. One, was easily identifiable as Tsukiko's. The other, however, was a soft but husky voice all at the same time.

Tsukiko looked up to see a boy in the schools uniform standing in front of her. His hair was the colour of chestnut, and his eyes. . .his eyes were a pure emerald colour. The girl had never seen such eyes. Both smiled subconsciously as they met each other's gaze.

"Iie, it was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." the boy apologized again.

The girl was about to say something in return when Akimi, who had apparently realized her friend's absence beside her, and began to pull Tsukiko by the arm along side Akimi again.

"What are you doing!? We're going to be late!"

"Oh, er, right. Gomen ne." Tsukiko blushed lamely as the other girl led her towards a close by classroom. She turned her head to see if the boy was still standing there, but was dissapointed to find the sea of students had engulfed the site where he had once stood.

_Strange. _She thought for no reason. She gave a small sigh and followed her friend into their first period class.

"Ohayo, minna." The teacher greeted to his class. He stood between his desk and the blackboard. Behind him, he had already written his name.

"Ohayo, Ashikaga-sensei!" Twenty some odd voices answered in return.

The teacher smiled before clearing his throat to continue. "Before we begin, I would like each one of you to stand up one at a time and introduce yourself to the class."

Everyone murmured in excitement before the teacher raised his hand with a slight chuckle to silence them. "Settle down, please. Settle down." the voices died down, and all attention was brought back up to him. "We'll start with the row closest to the door, and work our way up and down the rows from there."

He pointed towards the girl sitting in the corner closest to the door. She smiled, and stood up. Smoothing her newly pressed skirt, she spoke. "Ohayo. Watashi no namea Hashimoto Ruka desu."

As she began to sit, the boy behind her stood. "Fuchida Daisuke." he simply said.

This continued up and down the rows of students. Tsukiko was sitting in the third out of five rows, and the second from the back. She followed along closely to the introductions, recognizing some names and faces from her middle school, but most were new to her from other schools. The girl sitting in front of her sat back down after calling herself 'Sakamoto Aiko', and Tsukiko felt her legs stand her up. She hated standing out in a class, all eyes on her. It made her feel self-conscious.

"Ohayo gozaimasu." She smiled weakly. "My name's Nanami. Nanami Tsukiko."

The teacher nodded his approval and placed a small check beside her name on his attendance list. Tsukiko sighed and sat back down in her seat. She turned to Akimi, who had taken the seat to her left, and saw her roll her eyes playfully. As if mocking her, saying 'see? What was so hard about that?'

The chair behind Tsukiko scrapped against the floor. The person cleared his throat and spoke in a soft yet husky voice. "Ohayo. I'm Iwakura Akatsuki."

Tsukiko felt her heart stop.

She turned in her seat to see the boy who had just spoken. He was sitting again and had a small smile on his lips. His clear emerald eyes quickly locked with Tsukiko's amber ones. His smile grew slightly grew as the girl registered in his mind.

"Hello, again."


	3. Chapter 2: Warnings

_**Chapter two: Warnings**_

"Tsukiko-chan!" Akimi and Tsukiko had promised to meet each other by the front doors, but when Akimi had arrived, she found her friend wasn't there. Having a quick over glance around the yard, she saw her friend walking towards the street and decided to run and catch up. "Tsukiko-_chan!_"

The girl she had been calling stopped in her tracks and turned around, her amber eyes scanning the crowd of kids behind her. When she saw the person who had been calling her, she smiled sheepishly and waited for her to catch up.

"Gomen ne," Tsukiko smiled. "I though you had forgotten about meeting there, so I figured I'd leave since you probably already did."

"I was only a few minutes late," Akimi responded accusingly. "You try getting down from the third floor to the main! It's a mad house!"

Tsukiko gave a small laugh at her friends exaggeration. She had to admit, she also found the new schools hallways crowded beyond belief. Her middle school had been pretty large itself, but at least they could breathe in the halls. With this school, however, you were lucky to get from one floor to the next within a five minute period. It was hectic.

Akimi frowned slightly as they began to walk off the school ground together. "Tsukiko-chan, you know that boy you said you bumped into this morning? The one from our English class?"

Tsukiko nodded. That boy, Akatsuki Iwakura, and herself had talked for a bit during that class. Most of the conversation consisted of Tsukiko trying to apologize for bumping into him, while he would laugh and try to say it was his fault. They ended their talk blaming it on the amount of students in the hall at the time.

"Hai," Tsukiko nodded happily. "Iwakura-kun. He seemed nice, ne? He didn't go to our middle school though, did he?"

"I was talking to some other people through the day, and I don't think you should be really talking to him."

"Huh? Why?"

"No one knows him. He doesn't come from any of the local middle schools — "

"So? There are lots of kids who transfer to here instead of the high school closest to their home. Or maybe he moved here over the summer. What's so wrong with that?"

"I'm not that low!" Akimi raised her voice a little. "That's not the whole reason." She waited to see if her friend would say anything, and resumed her speech when she realized Tsukiko wasn't going to say anything and was waiting for her to continue. "People are saying that he's an orphan. He's an outsider, who really doesn't belong here. That's all."

For no apparent reason, Tsukiko felt her blood boil. "What's wrong with being an orphan? Maybe his parents were killed! How would that be his fault? If that's why people don't want to talk to him, then they're bakas. It's a stupid reason!"

"I'm just telling you what I heard. He was adopted and —"

"It's none of our business what goes on in his life. He's still a person, and as long as he's that, who cares?"

"Tsukiko-chan, you're a good person, honestly, but high school life is rough. That's what my onee-chan told me. If you were to kill your chances of fitting in this early on in the year, it may not be fixable," Akimi said quietly. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

Tsukiko couldn't believe the words she was hearing from her friend, "We've always been our own people. We never cared about what others though. Why is this changing now?"

"Because the crowd is bigger now. If we stand out, it'll be worse," they stopped at a corner and faced each other. Tsukiko glared at her friend, hoping that with her just her eyes, she could get her point through. She had been told many times that her intense amber eyes could always speak for her.

"Then that gives me all the more reason to make sure Iwakura-kun's not lonely," Tsukiko shot back.

Akimi's eyes softened. She hadn't wanted this to become a fight. She just wanted to warn Tsukiko about what she had heard. "Demo, why are you looking out for this guy, anyways? You already have Ito-kun, ne?"

Tsukik's protesting seemed to stop at the mention of her boyfriend, Kyoden Ito. They had been going out for almost a year. The only time she had seen him at school was during that period. Coincidently, they had gym at the same time but in different classes. So she had seen him outside doing laps while her class had been stretching. Through the rest of the day, however, they had not seen each other because both were looking around their new school during lunch and had no other classes together. Though they had anticipated this already and promised to call each other later that day.

"What about Kyoden-kun?" She asked daringly. Akimi didn't answer; she just stood in her spot, shifting from one foot to the other. She had figured Tsukiko already knew what she had meant, and she was right. Tsukiko rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm looking for a date from Iwakura-kun!"

"I know that!" Akimi said quickly. "And you know that. You can't help it — it's just in your nature to be kind to everyone. But will Ito-kun see that, and continue seeing you?"

"I'm sure he'll understand. He knows me, just as well as you do. He won't think like that," Tsukiko reassured. Although, in her mind, she too was beginning to think of her boyfriend. He was a little over protective of her, and his friend knew better than to eye 'his girl'. Akimi had always said how wrong it was the way he was over possessive of her. Tsukiko, however, had always disagreed. Although she too though it wasn't right, she was sure it was only a childish stage all boys went through.

Wordlessly, they both decided to leave their little dispute there. And after Tsukiko had reassured Akimi that they were okay, that she wasn't so angry anymore, they said their farewells. Akimi turned off onto her street as the other girl continued on her way home on the adjacent street. Her house was really only three blocks away from that corner anyways, so it wasn't much more of a walk. Besides, Tsukiki rather enjoyed walking. Heck, she loved exercise in general. That was the reason why she continued in gym while most of her friends either took music or art. Out of all subjects, gym and math were her best subjects.

_What's wrong with people!?_ She bit her lower lip on frustration, a habit of hers, as her thoughts swirled in her head. _Treating someone so coldly because of something so. . .so. . .so stupid? I'm sure there are other orphans that go to the high school. Why treat that boy so badly?_

She was lost in her thoughts as they pounded hard in her head. The chewing on her lip was becoming painful, as if, if she were to continue biting her lips she'd break the skin. She couldn't hear anything over her thought. She was oblivious to the world. And because of this, she was completely unaware of the steady footsteps behind her. She didn't feel the gaze of two piercing black eyes watching her closely.

_I won't follow them. Since when have I, anyways?_

The footsteps quickened.

_Who cares that they think, anyways? Maybe I'll invite Iwakura-kun to lunch tomorrow and-_

Tsukiko jumped when she felt a firm hand grab her shoulder. Her heart sped up as she whirled around, the books in her arms crashing to the ground.

The black eyes narrowed onto the girls amber ones. He gave a small, pathetic smile as he picked up the girls books. "Gomen nesai," his smile grew. It was cold, just like his eyes. He stood up and handed the girl her books. "I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Tsukiko's heart beat refused to slow down even a bit. Trembling, she took the books and clutched them close to her. "It-it's alright."

The man's eyes narrowed, scanning over the girls face. He gave a small chuckle. "So, I've finally found you," he whispered darkly.

"Nani?" Tsukiko had amazing hearing, and she was sure of what he had said. She knew what he had said, and the words made her cold within.

He held out his hand, "Please, come with me."

Tsukiko slowly shook her head and took a few steps back. Her knuckles were white from holding her books so closely. "I-iie."

The man frowned, as he extended his hand out farther towards her. "Come with me, or else."

Tsukiko took another step back. This man, his eyes were so cold and empty. They scared her. Yet perhaps, even though his eyes were so frigid, it was his heartless smile that sent the shivers throughout her body. That made her shake and want to run away, "Iie!"

The man became angry. She was stubborn; he should have expected this from _her_. "I said," he spat. He took one long step towards her and grabbed her wrist. "You will come with me."

Tears began sprang into Tsukiko's eyes. His touch burned, and she could feel his fingernails digging deep into her skin. She was scared. His deep eyes cutting into her like a knife. She closed her eyes in anger and tried to pull away, "NO!"

The man's face turned from anger to pain. His eyes shrunk as he let out a scream of agony. He threw her arm away as if they were fire and clutched his hand.

She had burned his skin.

He gave a small chuckle, one that didn't sound like his previous ones. It was then that he knew for sure if his presumption was right. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his nose, taking a deep breath. He took in all the scents from it, and smiled as he opened his eyes again. "You are her. You are the one I've spent all these years looking for."

He looked back at the horrified girl. She was hunched over, shaking, gripping her books closer to her. As if they'd protect her or something. He roamed his eyes down towards her chest. His smile only grew, "And I suppose that's what had been keeping you so well hidden. Figures, they wouldn't have gone through all this and not place some sort of spell to protect you."

Tsukiko followed his gaze to her chest. When he had shoved her away, it had been done so violently that the necklace she usually kept tucked away hidden beneath her shirt had flung out and was now visible. It was an old charm, she though, that held a small silver crescent moon and a small gold star in the centre. She always wore it, and couldn't remember a time in her life when it hadn't been worn around her neck. But what on Earth was he talking about?

"I've always had it," Tsukiko lifted her hand and traced the charm around her neck, "Please, onegai, leave me alone! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"And that must be what is still protecting you. What burned me. However," he looked back down at his burned hand. He brought it up to his mouth, and ran his tongue along his wound. "You do have tremendous power, just as I expected."

"I don't know what you're—!"

"But someday," he continued, "someday, that charm won't be so helpful. She can't hold out much longer, mark my words. And I've already found you, so you see, it's already growing weak. It's just a matter of time before you're mine. Mine, all mine!"

He left her with his horrible scarring smile as he turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Tsukiko couldn't move. Curiosity and fear battled inside her. What was he talking about? What had he meant? Even though he was gone, she could still see his cold eyes piercing hers and his smile sketched into her. And even though he was gone, she knew she was still trembling. Would she see him again? No, drop that, who _was_ he exactly?

She loosened the grip on her books and sighed, running her hand through her thick chestnut hair.

"Whoever he was, I have a feeling he'll be back," she whispered to herself. Tsukiko looked down at her necklace and frowned, her eyebrows hitching together. "But what did he want with this? It's just a trinket."

She traced it one last time before tucking it back into her shirt. She tapped the place the charm had landed - upon her left breast - and turned around back into the direction of her house. She could see the grey bricked white door house just a little down the street. She couldn't help but let out a small relieved smile knowing that she was so close to home. Yet the thoughts about the events still circulated in her mind. Particularly, one certain thing the man had said.

_Demo, _she thought, _what power was he talking about, anyways?_

It was then, as if her thoughts had triggered something, that she stopped in her tracks and the look of pain broke across her face. Her books crashed to the ground as she dropped to all fours. Tsukiko brought her hands up to her chest and grasped her shirt, gasping for breath, as tears of agony ran down her cheeks.

Something was burning her skin.

Her eyes were shut tight, not allowing her to see the blue light emitting through her blouse.

But as quickly as the sudden pain had come, it disappeared.

Tsukiko opened her eyes, frantically looking around for any sign of that man. He was nowhere in sight. Her body began to shudder again as she quickly picked up her books and ran the remaining way home.

XxXxXxX

"Tadima!" Tsukiko called out as she closed the door behind her and removed her shoes.

"Okaeri nasai!" a warm, females voice answered.

Tsukiko followed the voice into the kitchen and smiled warmly when she saw the woman wrapped in a lilac apron, leaning over the stove.

"Kon'nichiwa, okaa-san."

The mother turned around to face her daughter. She returned the smile as she used the back of her hand to move the few strains of midnight black hair away from in front of her eyes.

"Kon'nichiwa, Tsuki-san," the woman said sweetly as she hugged her daughter. She frowned looking at the clock on the kitchens sunflower yellow wall. "Why so late?"

"Oh," Tsukiko looked away. Some part of her suddenly didn't want to explain to her mother about the man she had met on the way home. "Gomen nasai. Akimi-chan and I had trouble finding each other after school, so we could walk home together. That school is huge, okaa-san! I didn't think it'd be so big!"

Her mother smiled and turned back around to go back to her work with dinner. She picked up a wooden spoon and began stirring the boiling pot of cooking soba.

"I wouldn't be surprised by its size," she laughed. "If it was so hold kids from all over Tomoeda!" She stopped laughing and turned off the burner. She removed the pot from it's burner and drained the pasta in a colander ready in the sink. Lastly, she rinsed the soba with a full force tap. "So, how was your first day at Seijyo then?"

"It was really good. Akimi-chan and I have the same classes together through the whole day, except for last period. While she's in music, I'm in gym. But Kyoden-kun has gym the same time as me, so I'll be seeing him during then almost every day. The halls get really crowded, too, but I still like it."

Again, she felt no need to tell her mother about that strange man. She couldn't quite explain it, but something was telling her not to say anything. Nor did she feel compelled to bring up the new boy in her English class, Akatsuki Iwakura.

"That's good," the woman finished adding the last of the ingredients to the soba noodles. "Dinner's ready, hun. Your father won't be eating with us tonight though, he's working late."

Tsukiko watched as the woman began filling up two bowls with the noodles and then some vegetables she had already stir-fried. Her stomach turned.

"Actually, okaa-san, I-I'm not hungry. Is it alright if I just go to bed early?"

The woman looked at Tsukiko with concern, "Are you feeling alright, sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," she tried to force a small smile.

"Okay. . .come back down if you feel any different. Your dinner will be waiting in the fridge for you."

The girl apologized to her mother and walked up the stairs, rubbing over her breast where she had felt the stinging sensation. The feeling was gone, but she was still curious about it. She closed her bedroom door behind her and began to unbutton her shirt as she walked over to her dresser.

She left the blouse on as she removed her skirt, her socks and underwear and took out a clean pair of pajama's from her dresser. A nice forest green bottom set with a yellow tank top. The tank top had a small green frog in the centre of the chest. She pulled on the bottoms, then removed her blouse and bra.

She had to bite her tongue from letting out a small scream. What she had felt earlier that evening was something more than just a burning feeling.

On her left breast, almost as if it were surrounding the nipple, was a crescent moon. It was a silver-blue colour, that was the same size as her charm had once been. It was then, she realized, that she wore the silver chain around her neck and no charm. The image that was now on her breast, was exactly the same as her charm had once been. The charm had been burned into her skin like a tattoo. The only thing different was that the small gold star that had once been on the charm was gone.

Tsukiko ran her fingers along the new tattoo. Her fingers felt numb running over the foreign piece of skin.

She couldn't help but stare at the mark for a few more minutes.

What the hell was happening to her?

XxXxXxX

**If anyone needs any translations for this chapter, please don't be afraid to ask me what a certain word means. I want to add as much Japanese as I can to this story, but I'm trying to keep it the little words most people already know.**

**By now, I'm sure many (of not all) of you have figured out who's who. It's sort of obvious, really. I just don't want those two to know it until later In the mean time, if you really want to make sure that your thoughts are correct, look up the meaning to everyone's names. Some mean something that have to do with their character!! **


	4. Chapter 3: Taking Chances

_**Chapter three: Taking Chances**_

The next morning, Tsukiko didn't dare to look in the mirror as she undressed. Perhaps if she didn't see the tattoo, she could believe it was just a dream that she had had the night before. And when she went downstairs for breakfast, she didn't mention anything from the previous night to her parents. She wanted to, but something was screaming inside her to keep it quiet.

"You feeling better this morning, sweetie?" Tsukiko's mother asked her as she set a plate of breakfast in front of her.

Tsukiko looked up at her mother and forced a small smile. "Hai, arigatou."

Her mother gave a small smile and returned to the kitchen. Tsukiko looked across the table to her father, who was reading the morning paper. He was a tall and handsome man, with thick sandy blonde hair. Behind his round glasses laid a pair of hazel eyes. His daughter looked nothing like him, and whenever someone would say such a comment, he was one to laugh it off and say how much Tsukiko looked like her grandmother.

"Ohayou, otou-san." Tsukiko smiled, trying to get her fathers attention.

The man put down the paper and extended his hand for the cup of black coffee in front of him. "Ohayou, Tsuki-san. How are you feeling."

"All right," Tsukiko answered swallowing a mouth full of pancakes. "I suppose I was just tired last night. Sorry for not waiting up for you."

"Don't worry about it." He put his cup back down on the table and placed the newspaper down. He looked across the table to his daughter. "Do you want me to drive you into school today? I have to be at the office early, so I can drop you off on my way."

XxXxXxX

Like the morning before, Akimi found Tsukiko at her locker before the bell rang for class. She had been thinking about this since the night before; about how she would apologize. Her friend rarely got angry, but when she did she knew it wasn't something to blow off. She took a deep breath and walked up to the locked as the brunette was closing the door.

"Ohayou, Tsukiko-chan." Akimi said with a smile.

"Ohayou, Akimi-chan." Tsukiko returned with a sparkle in her eyes. Akimi followed her as they squeezed themselves into the overcrowded hall once again.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday." Akimi found herself having to yell over the noise in the hall. If possible, she thought it was louder than the day before. "I really didn't want to fight with you."

"I know." Tsukiko also found herself raising her voice just to be heard. "You were just trying to look out for me. Don't worry about it, I understand."

"I was just trying to be a good friend. . ."

The two girls stopped in front of their classroom door. Akimi reached for the doorhandle, but stopped. She figured it'd be better to finish this conversation in the hall, where they were most likely to receive more privacy due to the amount of noise.

Tsukiko faced Akimi, keeping her smile on. "I know, and you are a good friend. My shinyuu."

"So. . ." Akimi began to shuffle from one foot to the other nervously. "We're okay then?"

"Of course!" Tsukiko have her a quick hug before taking the handle and opening the door to their classroom. Even though it was minutes before the bell, the classroom was only half filled. And Tsukiko was quick to notice the empty seat behind hers.

The two girls took their seats, and a happy Akimi began to take out her books for English.

_The bells going to ring soon. _Tsukiko couldn't help but think as she saw the empty seat behind her. _Where could he be? He's going to be late._

Akimi's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "So, you listened to me yesterday, ne? You heard what I said?"

Tsukiko nodded happily, the glint in her eyes growing. "Hai, I heard you."

Akimi have a another small smile and sighed, relieved. She went back to getting her stuff ready for class as the door slid open and in stepped a boy with messy locks of thick chestnut hair. He seemed to be catching his breath as he walked across the classroom towards his seat. Akimi looked down at her notes, pretending not to notice him.

Tsukiko, however, only allowed the smile across her lips grow as the boy approached them. When he was at her desk, she spoke in her warmest voice, "ohayou, Iwakura-kun."

Akastuki stopped, looking relatively surprised by her soft words. He tried to hide it though, and quickly returned the smile. "Ohayou, Nanami-san." Then continued to his seat behind her.

Akimi looked as if someone had slapped her. She couldn't help but look from Tsukiko, to Akatsuki and back to her friend. She leaned sideways, closer to Tsukiko, and brought her voice down so no one else could hear. "Tsukiko-chan, I thought. . ."

Tsukiko kept her sweet, innocent smile on. She, too, leaned in closer to Akimi so only they could hear her talking.

"I said; yes, I listened to you. I heard what you had to say. That doesn't mean I'll actually 'listen' and follow the crowd. I never have, and I never will. You can count on that."

XxXxXxX

The bell rang indicating the end of the first period. Immediately, chairs scrapped the floors as students scurried to get their things into their bags and go to the next class on their schedule.

"Remember!" The teacher raised his voice so he could be heard over the commotion. "Read pages ten to eleven in your textbooks for tomorrow!"

"Are you coming, Tsukiko-chan?" Akimi asked as she stood in front of her friends desk, her bag already packed up and in her hands.

"You go on." Tsukiko answered as she stood up as well. "I need to ask Ashikaga-sensei something I didn't get about todays' work."

Akimi nodded, and turned to leave for their second period class. Tsukiko watched until she was sure she was out of the room, then turned around. Akatsuki was just standing up and pushing the last of his notes into his bag.

"Ohayou, again, Iwakura-kun." Tsukiko smiled. "O genki desu ka?"

His head jolted up in a startled way, as if he hadn't seen her approach his desk. Again, that surprised expression that she had spoken to him laid on his face.

"Oh, anou. . .genki desu." He said quietly to the smiling girl. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Iie," he shook his head slightly. He hadn't meant for it to come out rudely. "Demo, I'm sure you've heard things about me."

Tsukiko ignored the question, and nudged her head for him to follow her out of the classroom. They began to walk with each other to their next class, trying to ignore the gazes set on them.

"What room are you going to?" Tsukiko found herself having to raise her voice once again because of the volume in the hall.

"Room 2032—history."

"Subarashii! My biology class is just down the hall from you! I'll walk with you there then."

"You didn't answer my question." Akatsuki started again. "Why are you being to nice to me? Talking to me?"

He couldn't help but question her. When Akatsuki moved from Kyoto to Tomoeda, he was hoping for a fresh start; meaning that no one would know of his past and his adoption three years ago which was the reason he had really no friends in Kyoto. But someone, somehow, found out. And even with the schools massive size, it seemed as though everyone knew of it. That could be the only reason for everyone ignoring him, or the whispering he often heard about him.

"But I did," Tsukiko smiled warmly. "I said 'do I need a reason?' and you responded 'no', ne?"

"Demo—"

"Your personal life is no business of mine." Tsukiko said quickly and informatively. "So I'm ignoring those baka's who think otherwise. I don't judge people by something like that."

The two stopped in front of a large door similar to the rest in that hall. Tsukiko turned to face Akatsuki, trying to get him to smile. Little did she know the doubts he had of her running through his mind. And who would blame him? After the way he had been treated throughout his life?

"Besides," Tsukiko started as if almost in a trance. She let her eyes lock with his, suddenly looking sad as her eyes showed full concern; sincere concern. "You're lonely."

It wasn't a question.

They were both shocked by the statement and both wondered the same thing; how had she known that? Akatsuki hid it so well, he thought. No matter, she didn't wait for a response from him and continued trying to get him to warm up to her.

"So, you should eat lunch with my friends and I today!"

"Huh—?" He started confused. There were already so many eyes on them, and he could hear the quiet whispers about them begin to grow. "A-are you sure? That may not be a great idea. . ."

"Nonsense! It'd be fun having lunch with you!" Tsukiko looked down at her watch and gave a small groan, beginning to turn away from him. "I'm going to be late. Ja mata!"

"Demo—!" The boy started as Tsukiko began to walk away.

The girl spun back around and cupped her hands over her mouth, not caring who heard her. "Lunch! I'll see you there!"

He watched in awe as the girl ran down the hall and was engulfed by the sea of students. He felt a hint of colour rise in his cheeks as the whispers around him quickly grew into murmurs and even more eyes fell on him.

Akatsuki shook his head slightly with a small grunt as he opened the door to his classroom. Again, he couldn't help but wonder who had put this girl up to such a cruel joke?

XxXxXxX

The emerald eyed boy walked through the café, hands clutched tightly to his tray of food, and looked around, eventually giving out to a sigh. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was stupid of him to even trust her; to actually think she had been being nice to him. She was probably laughing at him with her friends about his stupidity as he stood there —

"Iwakura-kun!" a hand rested on his shoulder suddenly, making him jump. He turned to see Tsukiko, a huge smile across her face. Her smile was so warm and genuine. . .it immediately made Akatsuki feel guilty for having doubted her as his heart beat began to relax again.

"Gomen," she continued to smile. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Daijoubi desu." he said quietly. The guilt-knot in the pit of his stomach began to grow.

"Sensei made us stay in a bit because of some boys in the back. They were the only ones being loud but sensei punished us all." Even with the bitterness in her words, she still had that innocent voice. "Sorry I'm late."

"Iie, don't worry about it."

Tsukiko signaled Akatsuki to follow her to a table in the centre of the café. There was a girl already sitting there, and she had a horror-stuck look on as the two approached her table. Or, perhaps the look was only because he was coming.

Akatsuki's palms began to sweat as every pair of eyes narrowed in on the two teens. He hated being the centre of attention. It always caused him to feel odd and self-conscious. And he wondered if the girl he was walking behind noticed the gazes as well.

She most certainly did. And it didn't impress her one bit.

When they reached the table, she slammed down her tray and glared around the room and at everyone, as if daring any of them to say something to her.

"What's wrong with you people!?" her voice shook with rage.

She sat down, looking up at Akatsuki as if waiting for him to make his move. He quickly looked around the room as well, noticing almost all eyes were focused back onto their trays or friends. He sighed, and took a seat beside Tsukiko.

Akimi, who had watched in horror as her supposedly-best-friend walk over to her table with Akatsuki, leaned over to her 'friend'. She brought her voice down into a whisper, but made sure to keep an edge to her voice.

"Tsukiko-chan." her voice was very edge, in fact. "What are you doing?"

"I'm having Iwakura-kun eat lunch with us. Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, it's just that —"

Akimi cut herself off in mid-sentence when Tsukiko had a sad look over to Akatsuki. He was looking down at his tray of food, not really touching the contents, as if trying not to over hear their conversation.

"Just give him a chance." Tsukiko pleaded when she turned back to her friend.

Akimi couldn't help but give a small sigh with one look in Tsukiko's pleading eyes. She had always said how one look in those big, intense amber eyes could ware down anyone; no one could say no to them. Including herself.

"Fine," Akimi stood up abruptly. "I'm hungry. I'll be back in a minute."

She watched as Akimi angrily walked away to the cafes food line. Then, Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki/ He was still looking down at his tray, only a few mouthfuls missing from the plate of food.

"Daijoubi desu ka?" she asked sincerely.

He didn't look up from his tray and merely nodded. He couldn't understand for the life of him why she was being so kind to him. He still couldn't make out if it was all a trick or she was honestly just being nice to him. Part of him was saying that she was indeed nice, but he had been tricked too much in his past. Akatsuki wouldn't fall for it again.

"Iwakura-kun?" Tsukiko asked, concern forming in her eyes with the fact he really wasn't making an effort to respond to her.

Akatsuki slowly, hesitantly, looked up into her amber gaze. Again, he felt the same guilty feeling he had felt earlier. It was the guilt of not trusting her. Not that it was his fault. Akatsuki let a small smile escape his lips as he saw the sad look in her eyes.

"Un, genki. . ." he stopped suddenly and his smile sank as a man approached Tsukiko from behind.

Tsukiko was puzzled by his partial answer. "Nani?"

She, too, stopped in mid-sentence as a hand rested upon her shoulder gently. A familiar touch, that made her face begin to glow with happiness. She turned around and gave a small squeal of delight.

"Kyoden-kun!"

The boy returned the smile as he leaned down and brushed his lips with hers, sending shivers down Tsukiko's spine. It was a small kiss, but nevertheless, it was full of passion. And when he pulled away, both were grinning.

"I've missed you." he said quickly as he took Akimi's seat beside her.

"You just saw me yesterday." Tsukiko blushed, as she always found herself doing so with Kyoden's simple yet meaningful phrases to her.

"Exactly," he smirked. "And that would be the reason why I missed you."

Kyoden Ito gave a glance over at the boy sitting on the other side of Tsukiko. His eyes narrowed as he saw the face, and gave a small grunt in the process. He leaned in closer to Tsukiko and wrapped his arm securely around her tiny waist.

Tsukiko notices his grip on her and frowned. It felt different from all the other times when he had done that. It didn't feel natural, as it did before. It almost hurt, as if it were more possessive than loving.

She leaned in closer to his ear, bringing his attention away from Akatsuki momentarily and onto her. She brought her voice down into a whisper once again. "Kyoden-kun, what are you doing?"

"What is _he _doing here?" he whispered back, allowing his eyes to settle back onto Akatsuki.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with Iwakura-kun eating lunch with us?"

"Stay away from him." Kyoden warned in a low growl. He tightened his grip on Tsukiko's waist. "Kare-wa hen da, that one. Very strange. . ."

"Itai! You're hurting me!" Tsukiko hissed. Instantly, she felt his grip loosen on her just a bit and a mumble of apology pass his lips. "And that's a bit mean, don't you think? He's just new here. I don't see what everyone's problem is."

"I mean it, Tsukiko, stay away from him. I know what I'm talking about." Kyoden lowered his voice even more. "I have gym with him last period. He doesn't change with the rest of us, he goes into a shower to change. Really secretive. He's an amazing athlete, I'll admit that. But that still doesn't stop him from being so distant and not talk to the rest of us." He sighed, but kept his voice down and focused. "Kare-wa hen da, Tsukiko. Stay away from him."

"You can't judge someone in a day! Where does the fairness lie in that?" Tsuikiko hissed, her anger rising. "Besides, it's not like anyone was really making an effort to actually make him feel welcome. Of course he's going to be that way! And maybe not all guys are outgoing like you. Who cares if he doesn't change in front of everyone!?"

"I mean it, Tsukiko. Stay aw—"

The sharp sound of a tray furiously scrapping against the table brought the bickering couple back to their surroundings. Akatsuki had pushed his tray of food away and bluntly stood up. He was walking away with a fast pace towards the doors.

"Iwakura-kun!" Tsukiko went to run after him, but her boyfriends tightening grip on her stopped her.

"Just leave him. He clearly doesn't want friends here." His sharp voice hit Tsukiko hard.

She glared at him, anger rising inside her like a bottle ready to explode. She pursed her lips together and pulled away from his grip with a jolt. "You're wrong!" she yelled, bringing attention to herself once again.

Tsukiko darted for the doors, ignoring his call for her and the thousands of eyes resting on her once again. She ran out into the hall and looked both directions before spotting Akatsuki on her left, heading towards the main doors.

"Iwakura-kun!" She called out again, desperately trying to get him to slow down his pace and wait for her. He didn't.

Tsukiko began to run again, trying to catch up to him again. She called out his name once more, again with no success, until she caught up and tapped him on the shoulder. With that simple touch, he stopped after a few more paces. His fist tightly balled up.

"Iwakura-kun, Douka shita no?" Tsukiko asked, trying to catch the gaze of his emerald eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly, gritting his teeth. "Everyone! The way you all treat me! God, it's not like I've done anything to deserve this! Yeah, my parents completely abandoned me. Does that mean I should suffer because of it!? That I should live a hell-life because I don't have real parents like you guys do! And you can stop the whole acting scheme! It's disgusting."

Tsukiko did not lose her focus, nor did she allow her face to fall. She stood her ground, even daring to take a single step closer to him. She looked him in the eyes, keeping a steady look lurking in her gaze.

"It's not an act, Iwakura-kun. It hurts me, knowing that you think that." she said softly, yet with a firm voice.

His eyes didn't soften. If anything, Akatsuki looked even angrier. "Don't give me that. I see you talking with your friends like I'm not there. I'm used to this stuff, you know. I used to get it back in Kyoto." he brought his gaze down onto the floor, and lowered his voice a bit. His fist loosened as his mocha bangs swept in front of his eyes. "I guess I was just hoping. . .you'd be different."

Tsukiko took another step, and gave a small smile. She brought her hand up to his upper-arm and lightly touched it. The comfort felt in her touch made him raise his head again and look at her. Again, he saw that smile and the kind eyes that made him feel oh so guilty inside.

"You're wrong." she said quietly, keeping the light touch on his heated skin. "I don't ever want to be like them; I don't ever want to make you feel that way. It's not an act, I wasn't talking to Akimi-chan or Kyoden-kun about you _that _way. I'm just trying to get them to see you as I do."

"Which is?"

"Someone in need of a friend."

XxXxXxX

Little did the two teens know that they were being watched very closely. The boy had seen it, all of it. He had not heard what they were saying, but he had seen his girlfriend reach out and touch the very person he had told her to stay away from.

But the new kid wasn't going to get _his _girl that easily. That was a promise he was willing to keep.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko gave a small grunt as she stood back up from stretching. She loved gym and all, but she also envied the boys for being able to run laps for warm-ups while the girls only did a few stretches and jumping-jacks. She looked over at the track and gave a small smile when she saw Kyoden running third in the front of the group of boys running around the track. Her smile grew when she let her eyes wander and found Akatsuki in the very front.

"_G-gomen nasai." he said lamely, not able to look into her eyes. Some part of him had known about her true intentions, but the stubborn side of him refused to believe it until he heard it. _

"_Iie, you have no reason to be. I understand." Tsukiko smiled warmly at the boy in front of her, removing her hand from his arm. "Maybe we can start out new and become friends?" she waited for a nod before clearing her throat enthusiastically. "Konnichiwa. I'm Nanami Tsukiko." _

_The small look of shame washed across Akatsuki's face, "Are you sure? After what I said to you—?" _

"_That isn't what you were supposed to say!" Tsukiko rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay. . .let's try this one more time; Konnichiwa! Watashi no namea Nanami Tsukiko desu."_

_Akatsuki let a small smile surpass his lips. "Iwakura Akatsuki."_

The sharp sound of the teachers shrillingwhistle brought Tsukiko back from her thoughts. She hadn't notice her sensei standing in front of the group of girls, trying to get their attention.

"Everyone done then?" The women said happily.

In reply she got about twenty some-odd "Hai, Morinaga-sensei!"

The women smiled and nodded her head as she girls stood up straight. She looked behind her at the boys gathered around their teacher, and waited for a small nod before returning her attention back on her girls.

"We have a treat for you today. Okita-sensei and I thought we'd have a girls-against-boys basketball game today with his class."

The murmurs of excitement swept through the air quickly, and the teacher found amusement in trying to recapture her students attention.

"And when Okita-sensei suggested to me, I promised him my girls could beat his boys any way!"

All hands jumped in the air as shouts of agreement filled the air around them. The girls made their way over to the boys, who were already at the basketball court. The genders didn't intermingle, as they both stayed on either side of the court. Their teachers were the only thing separating them.

"So," Okita smiled. "We'll started off with five-on-five, regular sized teams. Don't worry, everyone will get a chance on the court." he smiled as he saw some of the girls pouting.

"I want Sakamoto-san, Takeda-san, Hatomaya-san, Daishi-san and. . .let's see. . .Watanabi-san on the court for the first part of the game. We'll switch after ten minutes, to get everyone in." Morinaga-sensei pointed out the girls she wanted and shooed the rest over to the sidelines close by.

Likewise, Okita-sensei choose five boys from his class. As the boys left to join the girls at the sidelines, Tsukiko caught a glimpse of who the teacher had chosen. Left on court was Akatsuki, Kyoden, a boy she recognized as Rikuto Ichisada and two other boys she didn't know.

Tsukiko watched as the teacher quickly explained some stuff and placed each person in position. As the teachers began to walk away, she cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Gambatta, Iwakura-kun! Gambatta, Kyoden-kun!" She yelled, making heads turn from both teams. She caught Akatsuki's gaze on her, as he gave another small smile and nodded.

Kyoden, however, didn't look at the girl who had yelled to him. But instead, narrowed his eyes on the other boy she had encouraged. He had plans, of course. He wouldn't dare let this amateur take away his girl.

"On my whistle, Okita-sensei will throw the ball up and a representative from each team will jump for it. Remember, when you do this, try to knock it back towards your team."

One of the boys Tsukiko didn't recognized and the girl by the name of Aiko Sakamoto walked up the centre on either side of Okita-sensei.

"Ready?" Asked Morinaga-sensei. "Three. . .two. . ." her whistle blew and the ball was tossed. Aiko knocked it backwards towards the girls, creating a large cheering sound from the girls team. A girl by the name of Umeki Hatamaya caught is and dribbled if half way down the court, then passed it to another named Fumiko Watanabi once she was surrounded by two of the guys. Umeki's pass was intercepted by Akastuki, and he dribbled it down the court.

This game went on for seven minutes, producing 'awes' and cheering from both teams. Tsukiko found herself watching Akatsuki more than anything, as she was amazed by his skills. Kyoden was right; he was very good athlete.

Kyoden was watching closely, following her gaze onto the brunette.

"Two more minutes!" Okita-sensei declared.

Kyoden caught the ball, passed by Rikuto. He looked around, his eyes glazed over, looking for someone. He saw two guys open, the one being Akatsuki himself.

"Ito-kun! I'm open!" Akatsuki yelled.

Kyoden gave a small smirk, and waited until Akatsuki was truly close enough before throttling the ball towards him. The ball smashed into the boys face, sending his staggering back a few steps. It was clearly not a pass at all, and was all intentional.

"What the hell was that for!?" Akatsuki yelled.

"It was an accident!" Kyoden smirked, clearly amused by the situation.

"Like hell it was!" Akastuki took a few steps closer to Kyoden. The other people on the court were keeping their distance with the two boys, and the teachers weren't paying attention. It was going oh too well, in Kyodens mind.

Tsukiko, who was watching horrified at the fight began to play out in front of her, wasn't sure of what to do. Surly Kyoden hadn't really meant to do that. Right? She had missed the next part of the argument and gave a loud gasp when she saw Kyoden reach back his fist, ready to give a blow to Akastuki.

She stood up to scream, but her voice got caught in her dry throat. The punch was thrown, and the distinctive sound of skin hitting skin quickly filled her ears. But when her eyes focused, she couldn't help but give another gasp.

Akatsuki had stopped the punch from contacting and damaging him. Instead, he had caught it and twisted the other boys arm back, placing slight pressure on it as if to get his point across.

"All you people are the same!" Akatsuki yelled. "Jumping to conclusions!"

Feeling in Tsukiko's legs returned as she wove through and around the students on her way to the middle of the basketball court. She ran to the boys, a scream ready to leave her throat any second.

"Yamero yo!" She shrieked. "Stop it! Both of you!"

Akatsuki's eyes softened when he saw the fear lurking inside her eyes, and quickly let go of the boy he held on to. He mumbled an apology to whoever heard it.

Kyoden stood back up, anger raging through his body. He lifted his hand back and struck Tsukiko, sending her staggering back a few paces. She never had expected that.

"Stay out of it, Tsukiko! I told you to stay away from him!"

Tsukiko ran her fingers along her cheek, and slowly drew her hand back, seeing a small drop of blood of the tip of her fingers. She ran her finger along the small cut on her cheek. It wasn't long; about the size of a watche's hand. Nevertheless, he had struck her. She looked up at him in horror.

Kyodens eyes quickly softened, as he took a step towards her to check on her. He hadn't even planned that. He never wanted to hurt her. Never.

"Tsukiko, gom—"

Two large hands grabbed onto the front of Kyoden's shirt, pulling his face into Akatsuki's. The emerald eyed boy looked furious, and you could almost see flames dancing in his eyes.

"You _never _hit a girl." Akatsuki spat out. "Ever."

Two sharp whistles began to blow, and all three people turned their heads to see the gym teaches running towards them. Both were panic stricken to see Kyoden in Akatsuki's grasp, and the stunned look on the girls face.

"What is going on here!?" Demanded Okita-sensei. He narrowed his eyes onto the grip Akatsuki had on the other boys collar, and scolded. "Let go of him, _now! _"

Akatsuki gave an unpleasant look to the boy in his clutch and gruffly let him go. The two boys locked eyes. Akatsuki have a small grunt. "You're not even worth it, you know." he said quietly so only Kyoden could hear.

"Now, explain yourself Iwakura-kun." Demanded Okita-sensei.

"It wasn't Iwakura-kuns fault."

All eyes turned to Tsukiko, who was desperately looking from the two teachers to the boys. She was trembling all over, and didn't dare look Kyoden in the eye. When no one spoke, she continued. "Iwakura-kun was just defending himself, and me." she said quietly.

Morinaga-sensei drew her attention towards the two boys, looking from one to the other. Her voice became very stern. "Is this true, boys?" when she didn't get an answer, she sighed and brought her hand up to her forehead. "Iwakura-kun, please escort Nanami-san to the nurses office. We'll deal with Ito-kun."

"I don't need to go to the nurse." Tsukiko stated boldly. Her thought, however, went unheard as the Akatsuki walked over to her and signaled for her to follow. She hesitantly obeyed. The last glance she got of Kyoden was him yelling at the two teachers, trying to get himself out of trouble. Tsukiko heaved a heavy sigh and ran to catch up to Akatsuki once again.

XxXxXxX

"I'm really alright." Tsukiko explained when they got to the doors of the nurses office. "It's just a tiny cut."

Akatsuki didn't seem to hear her, as he opened the door and called out for the nurse. There was no response. He gave a quick look around with no luck of finding the nurse. Leading Tsukiko to an empty cot, he waited until she sat down before sighing and running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Let's just get something on it, alright?" Akatsuki walked over to a few cupboards before finding a small cloth and a band-aid, all the while ignoring the girls protesting of needing medical attention.

He took a seat beside Tsukiko and began gently rubbing off the dried blood from the cut. The slit reopened a tad, and her softly dabbed the blood off her skin.

"Daijoubi desu." she said again. "I'm really okay."

"That Ito-kun really is a jerk, you know." Akatsuki stated with a firm voice. "I don't know why you put up with him."

"He really is a nice guy, just. . ."

"Possessive of you?" Akatsuki have a heartless laugh as he continued the soothing dabbing on her cheek. "Sorry if this is out of line, but that really isn't a great relationship to be a part of, is it?"

Tsukiko returned the small laugh. "You sound like my friend Akimi-chan."

"Because it's true." Akatsuki said quietly. "He's a jerk. You deserve better, you know."

Tsukiko have a sigh and ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "Some part of me knows that. I just sort of hoped that part of him would eventually just go away."

"Do you still believe that?"

". . .iie."

The boy removed the cloth, setting it beside him. He gently removed the band-aid from its small fragile packaging and smoothly places it over the paper thin cut on her cheek. He gave a weak smile towards her, as if trying to comfort her.

"There, all better."

Tsukiko looked over at Akatsuki, and also forced herself to smile. He seemed so different from the guy she had spoken to earlier that afternoon. He seemed older, more mature. Let alone the fact that only a few hours before he was yelling accusation at her and was now defending her.

"You know," she said quietly. "I like you like this. Being yourself and so open. You should be this way more often."

Akatsuki opened his mouth to speak but was cut off with the door slamming open. A man looking in his thirties ran in, clearly frantic. He wore large, thin glasses with grey-brown eyes resting behind them and had tidy natural dark grey hair.

"Akatsuki-kun, are you alright!?" he asked frantically after his eyes landed on the two.

The boy smiled and gave a small nod. "Un, arigatou."

The man gave a relieved sigh and closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. "That's good. I heard there was a fight and you were involved, but when I got outside they said you were here."

"Un, there was a little mishap in gym. But everything's alright." Akatsuki looked over at the girl, sensing her confused state. He smiled. "Nanami-san, this is my neighbour, Yukito-san. He lives in the same building as me. Yukito-san's like a big brother to me in some ways." he leaned in closer as to whisper. "He's also the astronomy teacher here at Seijo."

Tsukiko made a small 'oh' with her mouth and smiled at the man who in return smile warmly back.

"Yukito-san, this is Nanami Tsukiko-san." Akatsuki continued.

"Yoroshiku, Nanami-san." The man seemed to have such a warm smile, she couldn't help but blush slightly. It was if he could see right through her. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Daijoubi desu." Akatsuki answered.

Yukito looked down at his watch and gave a small chuckle. "Suppose my class is missing me by now. I assigned a few pages to read while I checked on you, but who knows what they're doing now." he paused for a moment before continuing. "If you wait a few minutes after class, I can give you a lift home Akatsuki-kun."

The boy nodded in acceptance as the man walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.

Tsukiko, who had not really paid any attention to their conversation, gave a quick confused look at Akatsuki. There was something odd about this man, she just couldn't place it.

"What did you say his name was again?" She asked.

"Yukito; Kinomoto Yukito."

**Please check my page to see a schedual I made for this story. Hopefully, it'll be a weekly FanFic but please don't completely rely on the dates; they may be a day late at time. Or early :) you never know! **

**Thanks for reading! Please, review!!**


	5. Chapter 4: Guardian

_**Disclaimer**__**: **__I do NOT own CardCaptor Sakura—CLAMP does. But, as I just thought of this, most characters. I don't own Sakura Kinomoto/Li, Syaoran Li, Kero/Keroberus, Yukito Tsukishiro/Kinomoto or Yue. But, I do own the 'new generation' of kids. So although CLAMP has all rights to the original series/characters, this idea is mine as are most characters. Still, it is merely a FANfic__**! **_

X-X-X

_**Chapter four: Guardian**_

"Kero-chan," a trembling woman's voice spoke softly. It was pitch black, as if all lights in the world had been turned out and her voice echoed as if she were the only thing in the room "I've lost my contact with her. I can't see her anymore."

Two large, glowing orange eyes cut through the darkness. His voice had an Osaka accent, and was low and choked with concern. "What does Sy—"

"He thinks I've lost the control I had over keeping her safe, like I did with the other. That the seal I once put on her, like him, broke after all these years."

"Do you think _he's _found her?" The low voice asked quietly.

There was a small pause, followed by a heavy sigh before an uncertain answer. ". . .I don't know."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Find her. Protect her. Teach her as much as you can, she'll need to be able to use magic. But," she paused, her voice cracking. "Remember your promise—she cannot know about 'us'. Not now, not ever."

"What about you!? How will I protect you while I'm over in Japan?"

"Don't worry about me. She's in more danger than I am. Syao and I will protect each other. So please, my friend," the feminine voice lowered even more. "Protect her, please."

The eyes blinked, and when opened, revealing a blaze setting in. Huge off-white wings spread open with grace. "Of course. I'll do anything."

XxXxXxX

Her amber eyes flew open as her body sprang up into a sitting position. Her breathing quickly became heavy and sweat covered her face, dampening her wispy chestnut hair. Fistfuls of blankets were coiled in her first in a death-tightening grip.

Tsukiko tried to calm down; it wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. She loosened the grip on the blankets slowly, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She began to gently rock back and forth as if to comfort herself. Looking at the glowing green numbers on her clock, she groaned when she read the time. It was only 2:34 in the morning. _Great._

This was the second night in a row she has seen this dream in particular. When Tsukiko had first seen the dream the prior night, she had woken up with the same reaction; sweat and heavy breathing. It had been three days since her charm had burned into her skin, and she couldn't help but think this dream and the event were connected somehow.

Not that there was anyway to know for sure. Tsukiko found these types of dreams regular; dreams she knew would come true. For her, it was 'normal'. She had been seeing these types of things since she was five. Although, they were usually small things such has a mark on an exam or something big that would be in the news.

But then again, there was that other dream she usually had . . .

No, she never told her parents about it. She didn't want them thinking she was a freak or something, or taking her to get checked by a doctor. Tsukiko would just let them happen and forget that anything of the sorts frighten her. Except for this one, that is. The woman had sounded so frightened. Sad, even. Tsukiko couldn't help but feel pity for her. What did her trembling voice have to do with her?

"But who was she?" There were so many questions running through her mind, as usual. "Or the one she was speaking to? Who was the other one she spoke of? And what seal? What danger?"

Tsukiko buried her face into her knees and let her muffled cries for the woman carry through the still nights air. For some reason, she did not feel frightened. She felt comforted, somehow. It was the woman she wept for. The woman who was scared and cold.

XxXxXx

"So you're talking to me now?"

As usual, the schools café was crowded and every chair was occupied. The noise was loud and the lunch line ran out into the hall. Tsukiko was sitting at her usual table, almost in the centre of the room. She was seated between Akatsuki and Akimi.

Akimi has just come and taken a seat. Her face looked very ashamed with Tsukiko's true words. "Gomen ne, Tsukiko-chan. I know I wasn't being just and all. It was just. . .I don't know. . .I guess I just care about what people think of me. And people don't like Iwakura-kun—"

"They don't know Iwakura-kun." Tsukiko corrected.

"Right, gomen ne." Akimi looked even more ashamed. "What I'm trying to say is, I've missed you. I don't want to keep this up. We're friend, and I miss our talks."

Tsukiko sighed and allowed a smile to surpass her lips. "I missed them too."

Akatsuki smiled at the two girls. For the past two days now, he felt different. He was more open with Tsukiko, and allowed himself to be himself; smiling, laughing and enjoying life itself. He even began talking to the other classmates. Maybe it was because of Tsukikos persistence with him, but he definitely felt more welcomed into the school's environment. And because of her, he felt like he was able to be more forward.

"Nanami-san, Hamamoto-san," he stood up, taking his tray with him. "It's a little loud in here. How about we eat outside today?"

Tsukiko smiled up at him. He had defiantly warmed up to her day since his outburst on her. She had caught him laughing once, and he was often found smiling. She felt like she was seeing his true self.

"I was just thinking about that. It's a nice day; not too big of a wind. Would that be okay, Akimi-chan?"

Akimi's face had the look of surprise. "Th-that would be okay? If I came with you two?"

"Iwakura-kun invited you, didn't he?" Tsukiko asked happily.

Akimi turned her attention to Akatsuki. "You mean it? Even after I tried to make Tsukiko-chan stay away from you?"

"I can forget that." He held out his hand to help her up. The girl took it sheepishly and followed the boy and her friend out to the school ground.

It was a nice autumn day. The sun was shining, but a soft breeze made the temperature just right. The leaves were colours of fiery reds and pumpkin oranges. It was Tsukiko's favorite season, with all those beautiful shades.

"This one's nice." Akastuki said pointing to an empty cherry blossom tree. The blossoms had long since dropped to the ground and died, leaving the delicate tree bare, apart from a few leaves and faded blooms.

"It's dead though." Akimi stated quietly. "What about one of the fuller trees over there? One with leaves?"

"It has its own beauty." Akatsuki answered taking a seat by the trunk. "I've always loved the sakuras. Even now, it has it's own grace, don't you agree?"

Tsukiko nodded and took a seat beside him. "They really are beautiful, ne?"

Akimi sighed and took a seat beside the girl. "When they're in bloom, yes, but they're mostly dead now."

"Even though," Akatsuki whispered. "It's almost as if they share a secret among each other. Blossom to blossom. Tree to tree. Sakura to Sakura."

Tsukiko nodded in agreement and closed her eyes, allowing the breeze to softly pick up her hair and let it dance. It was days like these she could feel peace; that she could forget about her dreams and worries.

But nothing ever stayed peaceful for her.

A sharp, prickling feeling was suddenly felt in her left breast without any warning. She kept her eyes shut, clamping them together and biting her tongue so hard it began to bleed, all in hopes that the prickling feeling would just go away. Within a few seconds, it did.

"Iwakura-kun, are you alright?" Akimi's concerned voice asked.

Tsukiko opened her eyes and peered over beside her to the boy. Akatsuki had his eyes shut tight, as if struggling. His hand rested calmly on the right side of his pelvis.

"Iwakura-kun?" Tsukiko asked when the only answered they received was a small groan and the hand on his pelvis suddenly grip his shirt, and perhaps his skin as well.

His eyes slowly opened, and he looked at the two girls. He smiled, but it wasn't like before. "Yeah, I'm fine. Gomen."

"What was _that?_" Akimi asked.

"Headache— happens all the time."

Tsukiko looked down at his hand, now back in its calm position by being lazily draped across his stomach. She frowned, and looked back at him. He was frowning too, but not for the same reason. His sights were on a tree not too far from them. She followed his gaze over to an empty branch.

"Iwakura-kun, are you _sure _everything's alright?" She asked.

He stood up abruptly. "Yeah, of course it is. Let's go back inside, okay."

"But we just got out here!" Akimi whined, but stood up.

"It's a little chilly out. Don't need to catch a cold." Akastuki smiled warmly at the girls, more so at Tsukiko who was still scowling.

Tsukiko stood up as well, and gave a quick look back at the branch Akatsuki had been eyeing. Still, it was empty.

"Nanami-san!" Akatsuki's call snapped her back into reality and away from her thoughts. She ran to catch up to the two people already halfway back to the school.

XxXxXxX

The light blinded her as she opened the door from the girls changing room to outside. She blinked her amber eyes a few times to adjust to the bright sun, before giving up and closing her gentle eyes, allowing the refreshing breeze to blow through her hair angelically. Oh, how nice it felt after a long gym class.

When she opened her eyes, and finally adjusted to the light, Tsukiko allowed her gaze to follow over to the branch that Akatsuki had been eyeing ever so intensely earlier that afternoon. As expected, the tree was empty. Her thoughts ran back to wondering what he had been looking at so determinly earlier, as that was what she found herself thinking about since the lunch hour.

To add to it all, Tsukiko found that all through the afternoon her left breast was often 'prickling' her. She had hid it well, she thought. After all, it was just small pricks here and there. That is, until, gym class. As soon as she had left the changing room for class, she felt as though she couldn't breathe and found herself collapsed onto the ground. Thank heavens she had stood up quickly enough for no one to notice her fall.

She snapped out of her thoughts when something caught in the corner of her eye. Tsukiko shifted her gaze to the schools track. A small smile spread across her face as she recognized the figure. Tsukiko began a steady jog over towards the track, dropping her bag by a bench, and caught up to the running boy.

"What are you doing?" he asked as her figure approached his perspective. His voice showed a hint of surprise that; one-she was able to catch up with him, and two-that she could then keep up with him.

"Running. What does it look like?" Tsukiko smirked. She peered over in time to see Akatsuki roll his eyes playfully and mumble something. She ignored it. "Why are you running? I thought you would've left by now."

He gave an annoyed chuckle. "You'd think so, huh?" His face was scrunched up in a ticked-off sort of manner. He literally spat out the words. "Okita-sensei made me do twenty laps. I'm almost done; I'm on lap fifteen now."

"Twenty!?" Tsukiko's voice cracked with astonishment. "What did you do!?"

"Oh, gee, thanks." He answered sarcastically because her quick, unthinking answer. "It wasn't me, more so it was Ito-kuns fault. He tripped me, but that damn teacher didn't see that—he saw me yelling at him. Ito-kun twisted his words, twisting the story and well. . .here I am."

"Didn't Okita-sensei listen to your side of the story though at least!?" Her voice sounded almost as enraged as Akatsuki's did.

"He did." Akatsuki said sourly. "Demo, no one's going to argue with that guy. He's the little brother of the soccer team's captain, Ito Hibiki-san, ne? Especially when the seasons just beginning, wouldn't want to get big-Ito-san upset."

"Oh. . ." In all honesty, Tsukiko had forgotten that Kyoden's older brother was the soccer team's captain. Maybe that was why so many had respect for the guy, was because of his brothers power.

Akatsuki looked down at the girl after her slow, unsteady answer. Her head hung down as her chestnut bangs brushed over her forehead, hiding her amber eyes. As if she were ashamed, as if it were her fault; that was what the girls look reminded Akatsuki.

His speech suddenly changed to a softer and more concerned voice. "H-how are you two, anyways? You and Ito-kun."

Tsukiko kept her head towards the ground. The boyfriend of hers hadn't eaten lunch with the group since _that_ day. Nor had he even tried to talk to her. Akimi had tried to comfort her with words such as how cowardly he was, she said that Tsukiko had done nothing wrong. And oddly enough, the girl knew her friend's words were true. "Kyoden-kun and I aren't together anymore." she put simply.

"That's my fault, isn't it?" He asked. His pace slowed down to a walk, and he began walking off the field not caring about the last two laps he had. "Gom—"

"Don't be sorry!" Tsukiko quickly cut him off. She followed suit and walked along beside him off the field. Her head shot off the ground and onto him. "If anything, I should be thanking you. You were right. . .I can do better than him."

"But you seem so sad now," he said softly. "At least before you smiled."

"I still smile."

"Yes, but your smile was always different around him. I don't see that one anymore."

Tsukiko swung in front of him and grabbed him by the shoulders. She didn't shake him, but instead made sure her grip got her message through. His eyes met up with her blazing ones. "It is not your fault, you hear me? I'm a big girl; I make my own decisions. Understand?"

Shocked, he slowly nodded. It wasn't that she was angry with him, but more so upset. Akatsuki never dreamed that a girl like her could get her eyes to become to gleam as hers did. "H-hai."

The girl smiled, and began to walk again. "Good." she said in a mocking sort of way.

Akatsuki blinked a few times before shaking his head as if ridding his thoughts before jogging slightly to catch up to the girl. Tsukiko was already at the bench where she had dropped her bag, so she swooped down to pick it up and swung it onto one shoulder.

Akatsuki found his pace begin to slow down as they passed the tree he had been staring at during lunch. His eyes narrowed on the empty branch, as he gave a small annoyed sigh. His eyes began darting around the yard, as if looking for something.

Tsukiko quickly noticed his absence and turned around to see him looking around the yard suddenly. She cocked her head in an interested manner. "Iwakura-kun? What are you doing?"

His attention snapped back to her after a quick gaze in the gate far off in the distance. His eyes seemed to narrow momentarily on a particular spot on the fence. "Nothing. Gomen." He turned his attention back to Tsukiko and caught up to her once again.

Tsukiko followed his gaze but again, the spot was empty. Once he caught up, she still didn't move. She peered over at the tree she was ever so curious about, and again, cocked her head. What was he staring at all the time?

"Nanami-san?"

His voice snapped her back onto Earth.

"Gomen," she muttered. They continued their walk, but Tsukiko kept her attention on his weird behavior. "Iwakura-kun, why were you staring at that tree at lunch?"

"Ano. . .nothing," he gave a quick smile. But upon seeing her uncertain stare, he added quickly. "Really! I wasn't looking at anything."

"You're lying." Tsukiko answered flatly. "You're keeping something from me."

"Not true!" He said quickly, receiving a blunt look from the girl.

"It is." She said quietly. "You are keeping something from me."

They stopped synchronously in front of the door to the boys changing room. The girls pleading eyes broke through Akatsuki's emeralds. He gave a heavy-hearted sigh and ran his fingers through his mess-of-hair in frustration.

Tsukiko have a silent gasp. _The way he did that—_

"Gomen nasai, Nanami-san." he began slowly, cutting all current thoughts Tsukiko had been thinking. "I promise, I'll tell you. Just. . .just not right now."

"Can't you trust me?"

"I can, but please, understand. I'll tell you, just. . .later."

Tsukiko tried to scan his face one last time, pleading for a full answer, but when she arrived at the truth that he wasn't going any further, she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Okay," she smiled up at him. "I trust you."

He returned the smile and reached his hand out to open the door to the change room. His hand was on the handle, when Tsukiko's quiet voice stopped him from going any further.

"Iwakura-kun," she began quietly. "Akimi-chan's probably already left. Actually, I _know _she's already left. Do you think. . .I mean. . .could I walk home with you?"

His face suddenly fell into a guilty glance. He looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his head in a blameworthy manner. "Gomen, but I don't think it's a great idea, not for tonight, anyways."

"Oh. . ."

"I-it's not like I don't want to walk with you." he said swiftly. "I promise, another time. But tonight. . ."

"No, it's okay." Tsukiko put on a huge smile. "Really! It's okay. I should've known you'd made plans already."

She turned to leave, adjusting her bag so it was now on both shoulders. It was getting late; at least twenty minutes had passed since the bell rang indicating the students were free from prison. And if she wasn't home soon, her mother was going to (literally) have a cow. She didn't know why, but her parents were way over protective of her, she often thought.

But as Tsukiko turned to leave, she felt someone grab her wrist and stop her from moving. She turned around and found matching emerald eyes looking at her in a concerned way.

"Are you sure you'll be okay walking home, alone?" He asked in almost a whisper.

Tsukiko continued to smile. "Of course! It's not like I haven't done it before. Besides, I really don't like that far; about ten minutes past the park. That's all."

"Are you sure? I really am s—"

"Don't worry! Honestly!" Tsukiko have a small giggle and gently pulled away from his comforting grip. She turned back around and smiled at the boy. "Sayonara!"

Tsukiko ran off, ignoring the boy's concerned gaze lingering on her still.

XxXxXxX

This time, she heard them straight away. They were so distinctive, how could she have missed them the first time? Her ears honed into the sound, making a cold, clammy sweat break out all over her body. The cold footsteps steadily followed her; she could hear the clear, even clunking not far behind her. If she would stop, the footsteps would stop. If she sped up, so would the footsteps.

It wasn't even the footsteps that gave the person away at first. She easily keyed into the sound, but was gave the person away primarily was the prickling in her chest. It was the worst pain she had felt from the 'mark' since it had burned into her skin. After the pain, then she heard the footsteps. And neither the pain nor the sound went away.

Tsukiko slowed down to a stop, clutching the straps of her backpack tightly. Her body shook, but she forced her voice to stay calm and steady. "Stop following me!"

The person's tight lips curved into a chilling grin. "So you knew it was me, hm?"

The girl spun on her heels, letting his cold, black eyes sink into her like poison. It was true though; she had known it was 'that man' before even turning to look at him. Yet she didn't question it. Again, she was use to things like these; odd dreams and sensing certain people's presence. It was something she was so use to, that she didn't question it anymore. For her, it was natural.

"What do you want from me!?" She yelled. "Why won't you leave me alone!?"

"I have my reasons," he answered in a cold, monotone voice.

"But _why!?_"

His lips tightened up into an even larger smile. A smile, Tsukiko thought, that could cut through ice it was so sharp. "I guess you'll never know, you poor thing."

"What are you—?"

"Let's just say you were, unfortunately, caught in the middle of something. I suppose it really isn't your fault directly, demo," he sighed in a sarcastic way, "demo, it cannot be helped."

The dark-eyes man closed his eyes and quickly mumbled something; an incarnation, perhaps? But how would Tsukiko know. He held out his palms and a long light emitted. Quickly, the light turned into a long sword with Chinese lettering on the handle. Tsukiko squinted to read the characters, but found she couldn't. She silently cursed herself for not taking Chinese in school, as it may have helped her.

The man mumbled something else, and a huge gust of wind knocked her off her feet. She skidded back onto the sidewalk. Tsukiko winced from the pain; whether it more so came from the fall or from her chest, she didn't know. When her eyes opened, the man was suddenly in front of her. His eyes narrowed on the vulnerable girl as his sword hung limply in his hand at his side.

"Pathetic, really. I thought you'd give more of a fight. I have to admit, I am a little disappointed by that." He lifted his sword and lazily brought it inches from her neck, just below her chin. A smirked as a single tear ran down the girl's cheek. "Like I've said, I guess it really isn't your fault directly. But, I guess it can't be helped. Don't worry, you won't be alone for too long."

Tsukiko quickly shut her eyes tight as the man drew back his sword, ready to strike. All through her mind were unanswered questions, but the tears in her throat never came. She kept her eyes closed, ready for the pain. The blood. The forever coldness to take over her.

But, it never came.

Something suddenly tugged at the back of her collar, pulling her backwards. Then, something cut through the air above her and a slight breeze blew above her. Cautiously, she opened her eyes. She gave a small gasp, although it really shouldn't have been a shock.

Standing in front of her in a protective stance was a golden-lion like creature. The creature gave a small growl towards the man.

"Ah, so I suppose she really hasn't forgotten about them then, hm?" The man's cold voice sneered.

"Like hell she would, and you know it!" the creature spoke in a distinctive dialect. His wings flew out, as if to shield Tsukiko even more. "Tsukiko, are you alright?"

The off-white wings. . .the Osaka tongue. . .and—

"Tsukiko!" The creature whipped around, showing golden eyes.

—and the eyes.

Tsukiko shook her head out of the trance and nodded cautiously, feeling a slight sick feeling in her stomach. "U-un."

The dream, how true _had _it been?

-to be continued in Chapter 5-

**hehe...oh yes, so evil (well, I hope) lol. I was going to write out the next part in this chapter, but I had two problems. **

**One: it was already 10 pages**

**Two: it would've taken way too long since I promised it for Sundays. **

**So please don't be too too angry :) And please, please, PLEASE review people! I was really excited about this FF and figured it would turn out to be my best one but I've gotten so little reviews. For those of you who have reviewed, thanks so much. It really encourages me to keep with this story and not drop it. **


	6. Chapter 5: Beginning of the Teachings

_**Chapter five: Beginning of the Teachings**_

Standing in front of her in a protective stance was a golden-lion like creature. The creature gave a small growl towards the man.

"Ah, so I suppose she really hasn't forgotten about them then, hm?" The mans cold voice sneered.

"Like hell she would, and you know it!" the creature spoke in a distinctive dialect. His wings flew out, as if to shield Tsukiko even more. "Tsukiko, are you alright?"

The off-white wings. . .the Osaka tongue. . .and—

"Tsukiko!" The creature whipped around, showing golden eyes.

—and the eyes.

Tsukiko shook her head out of the trance and nodded cautiously, feeling a slight sick feeling in her stomach. "U-un."

"Stay behind me," the lion-creature said, focusing back onto the man. "Just stay behind me, got it?"

Again, she nodded. "Hai."

The creature's eyes narrowed back onto the mans disgustingly slimy body. "You leave this girl alone, you hear me Li-san!?"

_Li. . ._Tsukiko thought intrigued. _So that's his name. Chinese. . .Li. . ._

The man, Li, gave a smug smile towards the creature. "That's no way to talk to me, Keroberus."

Kero growled. "If you touch one hair on her head, I wont be the only one after you and you know it."

"Of yes, I know. But," he grinned sickly. "No one can touch me. I cannot be harmed."

His smiled only made Kero angrier, as he lowered a bit as if ready to attack. His voice grew low, and he didn't turn towards the girl to talk. "Tsukiko, remember: stay behind me. Understand?"

"H-hai."

"Come now, Keroberus. Can't we talk this out?" he asked in a most insincere tone. Li gave an unsatisfied sigh before holding out his sword and allowing it to turn back into light, then nothing once again. "I've had enough fun today. And since you've ruined my plans, I'll just need time to think. But don't worry, I wont be gone for too long."

Kero gave a low growl. "You bas—" but before he could finish or let out an attack, Li jumped into a nearby tree and seemed to disappear all together. Kero began to mumbled something under his breath, forgetting about the girl still on the ground behind him.

Trembling, Tsukiko slowly stood up and approached the golden creature with caution. Her hand shook as she reached it out and lightly touched his furry back. The creature jumped, his eyes narrowing on the girl. Quickly, his eyes grew soft and a small smile spread across his face.

"Who. . .what are you?" Tsukikos voice shook. Some part of her knew that this 'thing' was safe. That he was on her side for whatever reason. After all, without his amazing timing she'd be long gone by now.

The creature's lips tugged into a smile, but quickly sank. He gave a skeptical look around. "I'll answer any questions you have, later. But first, let's get you some place safe."

"Demo. . .he's gone, ne?" Tsukiko, too, looked around searching for him.

"Can't be too sure." he said seriously. "Your home isn't far, right? Let's go there."

Before Tsukiko could answer, the creature stretched out his large wings and enwrapped his body with their elegance. The wings created a cocoon around him, lifting him a few inches off the ground. A sudden, glowing circle formed under him, and Tsukiko found herself having to shield her eyes from the bright and powerful light that emitted from him. When she opened her eyes, the lion-like creature was gone and was replaced by a floating plush toy-like thing. With its tiny wings, it was a wonder he could stay in the air at all. The large golden eyes he once had were no longer and instead were tiny, beady black eyes. If anything, he now resembled a teddy bear with fairly large, round ears and wings.

Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak, caught in awe of the situation, but was cut off. "I'll answer any questions you have when we're safe at your place, okay?"

She had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. The thick Osaka dialect was still evident in his voice, but what was a low voice had turned into almost a child-likes voice. One that did not sound like it had hit puberty yet. Nevertheless, she kept her tongue in place and led him down the street to her house.

Once there, she tried to dart up the stairs without being notices, but a sharp voice caught her on the first step of the stairs.

"Tsukiko-san!" her mother's incisive voice spoke as heavy, angry footsteps made their way towards the girl.

_Great,_ Tsukiko thought. _She used my full name. Not a good sign. . . _

As the footsteps became nearer and nearer, and Tsukiko noticed the floating toy beside her, she swung off her backpack and roughly shoved the thing into the bottom of the bag, ignoring the muffled protesting.

"Tsuki-san," her mother's voice repeated a little more calmly upon seeing the girl safe in the house. Tsukiko noticed the shortening of her name again, and gave a sigh of relief that her mother was probably not so angry anymore. "Where on _Earth _have you been!? I've been worried _sick_ about you!"

"Morinaga-sensei lost track of the time in gym, so we were late getting out. Then I had to wait forever for an available shower." Tsukiko quickly lied.

The women eyed her daughter, as if waiting for a better or even different explanation. She had no reason to doubt the girl in front of her; she wasn't one to lie. But her mother-instincts kicked in saying there may have been something that was being hidden from her. When she realized the girl wasn't going to continue, she asked in a more concerned voice, "Is that all th—"

"Gomen nasai, okaa-san, but I have a lot of homework tonight. Could you call me when dinner's ready?"

"Well—"

"Gomen nasai!" Tsukiko cut her off again, not wanting to explain anything, especially the thing moving around in her bag and prodding her in the back. She began to run upstairs, stuffing the toys tail back into the bag so her mother wouldn't see. "Thanks!" She called down, unable and not wanting to hear her mother's response.

She closed her bedroom door behind her and quickly opened the bag, then threw it to the ground by her bed. The small creature poked his head out of the bag and began gulping for breath dramatically.

"Next time you plan on doing that," he growled. "Warn me!" He pulled himself out of the bag with some difficulty and immediately began beating his tiny wings to keep him afloat in the air.

"Gomen," Tsukiko said uncertainly as she walked over to her bed and plopped down on the rose-pink sheets. She watched, still in the state of awe, as the tiny thing flew over to her desk located right across from her, and stood on its cherry-wood surface. "Will you answer my questions now?"

"Fire away!" He said coolly.

"And you'll answer all of them?"

The creature stopped, as if he were in deep thought. He crossed his tiny arms and slowly shook his head. "Sorry, Kid, wish I could. There are certain things I've promised not to tell you. But I'll do my best to answer as much as I can."

Tsukiko felt a sting of anger flow throughout her body and she felt like screaming. Even this thing that was supposed to be on her side was keeping secrets from her; holding her down in the dark with. She would have screamed if it wasn't for the fact of wanting to learn as much as she could. She let her anger die down and let her thoughts swirl around in her mind. She had so many questions; where to begin?

She decided to start with the simplest, and the most obvious. "Who are you?"

The small thing smiled and closed his eyes in almost a mocking way. "I am the 'Creature of the Seal'; the 'Beast with the Golden Eyes—"

Tsukiko gave a small cough, as if choking. She, again, bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. "Beast?"

The creature ignored her and continued without missing a beat. "—the Golden Eyes.' I am the one and only super-cool. . .Keroberus!"

There was a long pause as Keroberus held out his hands in a wondrous way and his chest heaved in and out for air. It was as if he was waiting for a huge production with flames, bright coloured lights and spitting confetti. And it seemed he was almost disappointed that nothing did happen.

Tsukiko pointed at him lazily. "Beast?" She asked again. "You little thing. . .a _beast?_"

An evil shadow formed over Keroberus's eyes and he brought his voice down into a deadly mumble, "You must be his kid."

"What was that?" Tsukiko asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I'll just pretend that you didn't say that."

"Oh," Tsukiko suddenly felt as though she did wrong without meaning to. "Gomen, Keroberus-san."

Keroberus's lips quivered as he suppressed the urge to laugh. After feeling stable enough to talk without bursting out, he answered in a serious tone, "Too formal."

Tsukiko looked at him confused. "Too. . .formal?"

"My name, _Keroberus?_ You say that too formal, Kid."

"Then what do you want me to call you? Kero-san? Kero-kun?"

Keroberus gave a large smile. Oh boy, he certainly couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "Kero-chan," he said proudly. "Call me 'Kero-chan'."

"—chan?" Tsukiko asked. "You sure about that?"

His smile grew as old memories interrupted him. Who would have thought that he would ask for someone to call him that when he despised the nickname before, even if it was many years before now. "'Course I'm sure! Now c'mon, I'm sure you have lots of questions waiting for answers!"

Tsukiko nodded vigorously, darting her attention back to her situation. She took a deep breath. _Okay,_ she thought to herself, _time to finally get some answers!_

"To begin with, who is that man exactly? And how does he know me?"

Kero gave a tight, forced smile. "Figured you'd ask that one. For the first one, _that man_ is Li Xin. He's an important member of a huge family. Something happened years back and—"

"He said I was caught up in something that really didn't have to do with me _directly_, but that I still got in the middle." Tsukiko finished for him, already knowing that part from Li. "But then, what happened? How come _I _got caught up in this? Or better yet, how does he know me!?"

Kero gave her a long, almost sad, look. "Sorry, kiddo, I can't really tell you what happened. And I can't tell you how you got caught up in it. I can, however, tell you that Li-san is a selfish crude brat." A hint of anger rose in his voice with the last part of his sentence.

Again, irritation flowed throughout Tsukiko's tiny body. "Why not!?" She raised her voice slightly. "It's about me, isn't it? Why can't I know!"

"Remember; I promised someone I would only tell you so much. They aren't trying to keep you in the dark, really, they just don't want you to know. Not yet, anyways. Please, understand, kid. They don't want to, but it's in your own interest, 'kay?"

Tsukiko have a small annoyed grunt, as if not wanting to except that answer. Of course, she did except it to some extent, only thinking about the other questions she wanted answers to.

"Fine," she said almost bitterly. "Can you at least tell me what's going on here? Or what I'm supposed to do?"

"Again, I can only tell you so mu—"

"Then tell me all you can!" Tsukiko realized the fury in her voice and calmed it, adding "Please?"

Kero gave her a long look, as if trying to decide how he was going to word his answer. He'd have to choose his words carefully, so not to let out too much information. No one wanted to provoke his mistress; you never wanted to see her angry. Let alone her husband. Kero have a small shudder at the thought of the two if he let something slip. Scary.

"Li-san is apart of an important family," Kero repeated slowly. "Something happened years ago, way before you were born, that didn't exactly go his way. So, since he couldn't lay a hand on the people who, he felt, was to blame because there would've been a rise in suspicion in his family, he decided to go for the people they loved." Kero waited, as if wanting something to go 'click' in the girls mind and this would all make sense. Of course, it didn't. She looked at him long and hard in a fairly confused manner. "The people's family." Kero concluded, hoping it would help.

Tsukiko formed her mouth into a small 'oh', pretending she understood. Which, she did to some extent. It was explained in a confusing matter, and no matter how hard she tried to follow, she could only follow along for so much. She waited intensely for Kero to continue.

"As you've probably realized by now," the yellow creature pressed on. "You're different from others. You have tremendous power ; very strong magic."

Tsukiko gave him another blank look and slowly shook her head. She understood this part, but it was more so her not wanting to understand. She didn't want to be told this. Somehow, she already knew this part. Maybe if she didn't except it, it wouldn't happen.

Kero gave an annoyed groan and took off abruptly from his position on the desk. He flew up close to her face and spoke in an peeved voice. "C'mon, kid! You've _had _to realize something different, between you and your friends for instance! Some sort of hidden power. Something!"

"Anou. . ." she stumbled from the surprise of his sudden outburst. "I-I suppose so. . .I mean, umm. . .I have these dreams that. . .that sort of come true. . ."

A smile spread across his lips as he placed some space between them. "There we go!" He said happily as he took a spot on the bed beside her. He then looked up at her in an anxious way. "What was the last one you had?"

"Well. . ." she bit her lower lip. "I sort of knew you were coming." She saw Kero raise an eyebrow. "I only was the dream twice, but I knew you were going to come sometime. I couldn't actually see you, though. Just your eyes and wings as. . .as your other self, I guess. You were talking to someone. A woman, I'm sure—"

"Did you see her!?" Kero asked in a panicking voice. "Did you see the woman's face!?"

"I-iie," Tsukiko answered confused. When she saw Kero sigh in a relieved way, she also raised an eyebrow. "Who was she?"

Kero seemed not to have heard her and decided to go on with his explanation. "So, you have great magical powers, Tsukiko. And right now, your magic is mostly pulling from the Moon. But, your magic is somehow able to twist ; if you work hard enough, your magic can split so it pulls equally from the Moon _and _Sun."

"Demo, right now me magic only comes from the Moon?"

"Mostly," Kero corrected. "That means that out of the elements of the Earth, you'd be able to control Water and Wind easier than the elements under the sun; Earth and Fire. Powers of the Moon will be easier on you, right now that is. I can already feel slight power of the sun inside you; you just need to let it grow. You need to split your power to be equal. It'll be difficult, but I know you can do it."

Tsukiko nodded, trying to keep up with the tiny creature. "Okay. . .I think I got it, so far; Moon. Wind. Water. Perhaps Sun. Split." she stopped for breath and smiled. "Okay."

"And that leads me to why I'm here!" Kero continued to explain. "I'm here to protect you as your guardian, since your power isn't strong enough in the magical-sense yet. And I'll be teaching you how to use your magic properly without it spiraling out of control."

"Demo—"

Tsukiko was cut off from any further questions when a soft knock came from her door and her mother's voice began to spoke in a concerned way. "Tsuki-san, is anyone in there with you?"

Tsukiko glared at Kero, as if looking for him to give her the answer. He did, by suddenly going still and acting like he wasn't a living thing.

_Great,_ she thought to herself, trying to keep herself from saying something to him. _Now he really does look like a stuffed animal!_

"Iie, okaa-san!" Tsukiko called out. "I'm alone!"

Tsukiko's mother opened the door cautiously and let her head peer around the room, looking for someone. She opened the door all the way, stepped in, and gave a second look around. "I thought I hea. . .nevermind." she smiled at the girl sitting on the bed. "Dinner's ready, sweetie."

"What did you make?"

"Just some okonomiyaki," the mother answered with a smile. "You seemed hungry, so I just made something quick."

"Sounds great! Arigatou!" She tried to return the smile, but found it difficult not knowing how long Kero would be able to stay frozen. "I'll be down in a second."

She waited until her mother had left the room before turning back to the stationary creature. He, on the other hand, didn't dare move or even blink for that matter, until he heard the woman hit the last step on the way downstairs. When he was sure she was downstairs, he closed his eyes longingly and sighed.

"Man, that was close!"

"This is way too dangerous!" Tsukiko said in a hushed whisper. "What if she saw you!?"

"Relax, kid." Kero smirked. "I'm an expert at disguising myself as a plush toy, with many years of experience, if I do say so myself."

"Oh. . .riiight." Tsukiko rolled her eyes unconsciously. She wanted to get along with Kero, but there was something stopping her. She quickly made a mental note to try her best to get along with her new guardian. She stood up and faced the creature. "I'll just be downstairs for dinner, okay? I'll be back up soon, but in the meantime, just stay in here, okay?"

Kero began drooling in a disgusting way as she mentioned the word 'dinner'. He began to slowly flap his wings as if in a trance and leisurely floated up into the air. "Do you think you could bring me up something?"

_Stuffed animals need to eat? _She couldn't help but think. Remembering her note to get along with him, she decided against saying that. Besides, he seemed to get angry when someone remarked about his appearance. Instead, she carefully reworded, "you need to eat?"

"Well. . ." Kero said distracted. "Technically I don't. I just enjoy food! Oh, glorious, beautiful food!"

Tsukiko looked at him in disbelief. Eat for pleasure? How did that work? "I. . .I don't know when I'll be back up—"

"Pleeeease?" Kero slowly made his way to her, dazed. "Please, kind, wonderful, lovely girl?"

She sighed in exasperation and walked over to where he bag laid on the floor. She set it on her bed, opened it up and pushed past her books and other school supplies until she found what she was looking for; a small, red box. She took it out and held it up. "I have these, if you want to eat now. . ."

The small beady eyes on Kero rapidly grew as they rested on the small box in the girls hand. He stared at it in a greedy way, and flew off in a quick pace towards her, grabbing the box and holding it close to his body. The box was as big as he was, but he held a death grip on it like a precious treasure. "POCKY!"

"So. . .umm. . .you like pocky then?" Tsukiko asked surprised that he knew what it was.

"I _love _pocky! Man, I haven't seen these in years! Not since we. . ." he trailed off, remembering his promise to the mistress. He had almost said something he shouldn't and thankfully had caught himself. He flew over to the bed and landed on the bed. The girl raised an eyebrow slightly as he sat down, his eyes still glued on the box, and ripped open the top then the silver packaging inside. "Don't worry about me. I'll stay put, so you go. And tomorrow, we'll start training."

Tsukiko hesitantly left the room as he popped a whole stick of pocky into his mouth and quickly swallowed, closing his eyes in delight and humming happily to himself. She closed the door quietly behind her and sighed.

So many questions still swam in her mind; many of them she knew she wouldn't be able to get answers to. Or at least, she wouldn't be able to get the answers from her guardian. No, he would never tell. But if Kero wouldn't give her the answers she needed, she'd just have to find out herself.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko squeezed herself through the halls to lunch, clutching a medium sized rose-pink and grass-green tote bag close to her.

"I can't _believe _you actually convinced me to let you come!" She whispered harshly to the bag in her hands. "What if someone see's you!?"

"Look," something muffled from inside the constricting bag. "I'm you're _guardian_, meaning I'm suppose to _protect_ you. Besides, no one will see me. I've already told you; I'm a master at looking like a toy!"

"What about during first and third period, hm?" She asked angrily.

During first period, before class even began, Kero had poked his head out of the bag when Tsukiko had set it onto the ground beside her chair. And although she was sure no one had seen him, she had still panicked and gave him a face-plant back into the bag. And then during third period, during home economics. . .

"I couldn't help that!" Kero hissed defensively through the material. "Those pies you kids were baking smelt _so_ good!"

Well, you can imagine what Kero did. He had actually moved the bag with him along the counter towards the cooling rack that held the students pies. He ate one, thankfully Tsukiko's group's, and but had burned his tongue, sending a loud yelp throughout the class. Even though no one knew it was the talking teddy bear inside her bag that made the loud sound, it was still embarrassing enough to turn Tsukiko's face bright pink because she knew.

"Behave yourself from now on!" Tsukiko ordered hurriedly as she approached the table she and her friends had claimed as their own. She found her two friends already sitting and waiting for her.

"I know. . .I know. . ." Kero grumbled, then whispered so the girl wouldn't hear "Bossy like that kid too."

Tsukiko, not hearing the last part, basically threw the bag onto the ground beside her seat as she sat down. She knew he'd be angry, and he'd yell at her later. She was very quickly forgetting her little mental note from the previous night. She was sick of his tongue with her.

"What took you so long?" Akimi pouted dramatically.

"Halls," the friend simply answered. She smiled, lightly kicking the bag beside her as she heard a small grumble for food come from it. "Crazy, ne?"

"We got here, though. And I have the same class as you. We even left at the same time."

"I needed to stop at my locker, first." Tsukiko quickly lied. Since when had lying come so easily to her? She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Demo—" Akimi was cut off, thanks to the rescue from Akastuki.

"I'm really sorry for yesterday," Akatsuki turned to Tsukiko.

"Really, Iwakura-kun! Stop apologizing!" That's all he had done during English class, and even then Tsukiko didn't think he needed to. She even told him that, but was apparently unheard since he kept on with his apologies.

"I just didn't think it's be a great idea last night—"

"I said, don't worry about it! I understand so stop apologizing, please!" _And it really wasn't a good idea, with all that happened last night. Imagine me trying to explain that one to him! Ha!_

"We could walk home tonight, though." Akatsuki smiled, quickly adding "If you'd like."

Tsukiko opened her mouth to answer, happily going to except, when a pair of small but sharp teeth dug into her ankle. She gave a surprised yelp and jumped out of her seat. Ignoring the curious looks she was getting from her two friends, she darted her head under the table and glared at the yellow head sticking out from her bag. Her eyes narrowed as she saw him smirking.

"I know!" She said understanding his message. "Alright! I know! I know!"

She brought her head back up to see her friends looking even more curious than before. She gave a nervous smile with an added laugh. She shrugged it off. "A book slipped out of my bag and landed on my foot. I was surprised, that's all."

Akimi looked at her, perhaps the most confused out of the two friends, and slowly peered under the table. All that was there the pastel-coloured tote bag that belonged to Tsukiko; a corner of a text book sticking out. She gave an even more confused glance at the bag, and came back up, darting her eyes to Tsukiko.

"So," Akatsuki began again. "We can walk home tonight? How about it?"

"Gomen ne," Tsukiko almost answered ashamed. Here he was throwing her a friendly line, opening up to her, and she had to refuse. This was what she wanted from him; to be friends and for him to just be open like this. And yet, she had to say no. "I can't tonight. I. . .umm. . .need to get home early."

"Oh. . ." Although he felt let down in an odd way, Akatsuki kept a smile on and gave her an acknowledging look. "Okay."

"I could walk home with you, Iwakura-kun, since I can't walk home with Tsukik-chan." Akimi quickly jumped in. "She already talked to me about being home early, and I'd just be walking alone anyways."

Akatsuki gave another smile towards Akimi and nodded_. _"That would be great, Hamamoto-san. I'll meet you by your locker, okay? Second floor, right?"

Akimi nodded, her face glowing with delight. "Hai!"

Tsukiko looked at them, suddenly feeling a slight pang in her stomach. Because of all this, because of Li and having to 'find her magic', would she lose grip on her friends? Become distant with them? She gave a small sigh, allowing the thoughts to dwell inside her. Everything was going to change.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko walked into the tree-surrounded area of the Pengiun Park, and nervously looked around. It was said these woods were haunted, so not many people came anywhere near this tiny forest. They all stayed around the playground.Of course, she wasn't looking around for ghost; in anything, she wasn't frightened of them and found it quite amusing when people became so frightened of such things. She knew this place was littered with spirits. Don't ask how, she just _knew._ She remembered as a child seeing her grandmother's spirit the day she died, before she was told of her death. She had been told to watch over her son, and to keep her chin up. Of course, her parents had rolled it off as a dream. That was the last time she had told her parents of strange things. So, no, she wasn't looking for ghost in the forest, because she found them quite friendly most of the time. She was looking for living people; people who may see her doing something 'odd'.

When she realized no one, well, no one _alive, _was around, she sighed. Then, a smile crept up on her face. She had been right; this place was perfect. She opened her bag and allowed her guardian to fly out and float in the air eye-level with her. He too gave a quick look around and smiled to himself.

"Yes. . .this'll do. Great job, kid!"

"Anou. . .arigatou?" She responded uncertainly. What, he had doubt in her?

"Okay then!" Kero clapped his tiny paws together enthusiastically. He turned to Tsukiko. "Blow me away!"

"Nani?"

"Try driving the wind towards me. C'mon, not that difficult, ne?"

"H-how?"

"Hmm. . ." Kero brought his hand up to his chin and scratched it thoughtfully. "You gat'ta point there. This is gonna be difficult."

"How so?" Tsukiko asked softly, concerned for herself. She leaned herself back on an old oak tree's trunk, waiting for some long explanation from Kero.

"Well,for one, our powers draw from opposite sources." Kero said, lost in his thoughtful processing. "While you draw mostly from the Moon, I'm completely Sun."

"Demo, you said I could draw from the Sun as well, if I tried hard enough, ne?"

"Yeah, but you should learn how to use your power given from the Moon first. It'll be easier for you that way. So I don't get why she sent me. . ." Again, he let himself trail off, catching himself before revealing too much. Man, close again. He never was one to keep his mouth shut. "So, I guess we. . .er. . .start with making your staff. Yeah, that sounds right. So, let's do that first."

"M-my what?"

Kero gave her a funny look, then mentally slapped himself. It was then it actually donned on him he'd be going from the _very _beginning. He'd have to explain everything, even with their source of magic being different. _Oh boy. . _

He flew in closer to her and pointed to the base of her neck. "Alright then, le'me see your charm."

Tsukiko's hand followed his gaze and lightly rested on the area between her chest and neck; where her necklace should have been. She gave a small frown. "How do you know about my necklace?"

"I know a lot'ta stuff you'd be surprised by." Kero answered cheekily. "Nevermind that. Lem'me see that charm! C'mon, kid. Believe me; it'll help."

"S-sou nee. . ." Tsukiko began nervously fiddling her hands and drew her attention towards the ground. "You see, I. . .er. . .don't exactly have the _charm, _so to say."

Kero gave her a look that was borderline confused and somewhat angry. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Sou nee. . .you see, Kero-chan, s-something happened a few days before you arrived. And it. . umm. . .sort of attached itself to me."

"Attached itself to you?" Kero asked bluntly. At least he could make an accurate guess at why his mistress all the sudden couldn't see her, seeing as it sounded like it was around the same time. "Like on your skin?"

"Anou. . .yeah. Sort of. I-I mean. . .it's sort of like a mix between a tattoo and a burn, I guess." It was true; she hadn't intended to look in the mirror since that incident, but accidently caught her reflection one morning. The once soft tattoo was now more rich in colour, and somewhat bubbled out. She gave a slight thanks knowing that no one would know if it, since her bra easily covered it.

"Well, c'mon!" Kero said, clearly losing his patience. Then again, did he ever have any? "Lets see it then."

Tsukiko's face rapidly grew hot, glowing a bright shade of pink. "I-I can't do that!"

"Why n—?" Kero stopped and let a tiny smirk grow across his face as he figured out her reasoning. At this, her face grew even warmer in colour. "Ohh, I see. Not somewhere you're willing to show off, huh?"

"K-Kero-chan!"

"Okay. . .okay, I get it." He moved his hands up and down in the air in front of him in a trace-like way, as if trying to calm a young child. After his little bit of fun, his face grew serious once again. "So, you don't have a staff." He stated bluntly.

"D-demo, I can still use magic, ne? Ne!?" She suddenly felt panic-stricken at the thought of not being able to use magic. How would she protect herself against that Li-man? Who was she to make this creature always come to her aid? She needed to protect herself as well.

Kero rubbed his chin again and gave a long hum. "Un," he finally said. "But this'll be more difficult, for me that is."

"What does it mean, though?"

"It means," Kero said thoughtfully. "That somehow, unconscious, you made a bond with you magic without knowing about the power itself. It must have felt as though you were in danger and needed to be recognized, though, for it to do something like that. So, in thinking that, your magic wanted to protect you and made itself 'one with you' in a way to keep you safe. In other words, your magic is_ inside _you now. It not only stems from inside you, but is also created inside you now, too. But I gat'ta say, it means you're very powerful."

"Magic had a mind of its own?" Tsukiko asked, confused by the fact something as concealed as her magic could possibly 'think'.

"Un, it can feel if its master, or mistress in your case, is in danger. If in that case, it'll make itself clearly visible and take over, all the while protecting. Make sense?"

"I-I think so," she answered uncertainly. "But why does it make it more difficult for you?"

"Because, it means that you have your own means of using your magic, and you most likely won't be able to use it the ol' fashioned way. I can only teach you the basics, and hopefully that will lead you to discovering how to use your magic to its proper extent. I can only show you so much, before you'll have to teach yourself the rest. You'll have to teach yourself how to get stronger, and probably how to even use your magic properly all together." He sighed, and closed his eyes to continue as if it almost hurt him to tell her this. "Like I said, I can give you the basic outline, but you're sorta on your own after that."

Tsukiko took a long, deep breath, as if to stabilize herself. This is had to be a dream, right? None of this could be real. It was going to fast; she was learning too many things too quickly. Too fast; one day she's a normal (well, sort of normal) girl, and then she's suddenly thrown into the Li-magic-what the heck mess? She's suddenly told about holding this powerful force inside, and that one obsessed man is out to get her, and on top of that she'd have to teach herself how to use her magic? Too much, too fast. So, this had to be a dream, right? Right?

She took another deep breath. No, this wasn't a dream. She knew that. It never was and it never would be. Some part of her knew that, and no matter how hard she would think it being a dream, it never would be. Some part of her never doubting this reality, ever.

"Okay," she said calmly after what seemed like forever. "I'm ready. Teach me everything you can."

"We'll need to start tomorrow," Kero said, not liking the fact of wasting yet another day to help her. The longer they waited for her to learn how to use her power, the more danger she was in each day. "Since you don't have a staff, I'll need to figure out what I can do to help."

"Is it really that difficult?" Tsukiko asked, the thought finally sinking in. It was just a staff, right? Magic was magic; why should a staff change in how she's taught or uses it?

"Yes," Kero answered seriously. "Give me until tomorrow. We'll start then."

Tsukiko took yet another long, slow intake of breath. This was moving too fast, that was for sure. But it was real, nonetheless. Even with the numerous new and old questions swirling in her head, she tried to keep a straight open mind as Kero flew back into her tote.

Her life was changing too quickly, and it couldn't be stopped or even slowed down. But, she would keep calm and allow this to happen. Somehow, in a strange way, this felt normal. All this, the magic, the people, even the situation. . .all of it felt normal; as if it belonged in her life somehow.

XxXxXxX

**I just want to quickly thank Jade-chan for editing this so quickly! I know I have horrible spelling and grammar, but she still puts up with me XD lol. So thanks! You know you're awesome!**

**Thanks to everyone who have reviewed. . .you honestly don't realize how much they mean to me! **

**Rai**


	7. Chapter 6: The Elements

_**Chapter six: The Elements**_

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute,?" A woman's gentle voice cooed. Her arms reached out and lifted something, cradling it in her arms. You could see her, but only up until her nose. Her eyes and most of her hair was covered by an invisible force. _

"_She's beautiful," a man's deep and husky voice spoke. "Just like you."_

_The woman seemed to ignore this and kept cooing at the thing wrapped in soft pink blankets in her arms. "She has your eyes."_

_The man smiled; you couldn't see his eyes, just his smile. Like the woman, his face was concealed from his nose up. His lips moved as he spoke. "Yes, but everything else is you."_

"_Not true," the woman continued softly. Whether she was focusing her attention to the man or the thing more was unknown. "Both have your unruly chestnut hair."_

"_Is awake yet?" The man asked. _

"_Iie, he's still sound asleep." The woman sighed and continued cooing softly to the swaddled package in her arms. "This one loves sleeping, but not during the day. She's stubborn," she smirked. "Just like her father."_

_A rough looking hand reached for the package in the woman's arms, and lightly touched the object in the blanket. The man's lips turned into an amused smile for some reason._

"_She's got you wrapped around her little finger already, ne?" The woman smirked. _

_The man's smile grew. He joined the woman in cooing to the blankets. "They both do."_

_Just then, a distant crying of a young infant was faintly heard. Both adults stopped to listen to the noise, and the man gave a small chuckle. "Look's like he's awake." _

"_I'll get h—"_

"_Iie, let me." He leaned down and kissed the small, fragile package in the womans arms and smiled. "I'll be back with in a second." He told the woman._

_The room became more vacant as the man disappeared. Seconds later, it seemed, the crying stopped. A graceful smile was pulled by the woman's luscious pink lips. She turned back down to the bundle; a small childish giggle erupted from it, causing the womans smile to grow. _

"_There we go, my beautiful Ts. . ."_

Tsukiko jerked up from her sleeping position to a sitting position. Her breath was rapid and raspy; he lungs demanding air. She peered over at the end of her bed, and felt relieved when she saw the small yellow Kero still asleep. But the relief didn't cause her to smile.

Instead, she pulled her knees up into her chest and rested her chink on the point of her knees. Slowly, she rocked herself back and forth. No tears were shed.

This was _that _dream; the dream she had almost every night. Not once could she see their upper faces, or what was in that pink package. But the peoples voices were always so soft and so kind. They really seemed like nice people. . .

And in all honesty, Tsukiko loved that dream. It made her feel warm inside, for whatever reason. She hated having to wake up from it; not once had she gotten to the end of it. She couldn't understand why she woke up the way she did, because it was such a warm dream.

Yet, she had never told anyone of it. Not her parents, not Akimi, and when Kero had asked about her dreams, she didn't dare even think of mentioning this one. This one was hers and hers alone. It may have been seen as being greedy, but Tsukiko wanted to keep this one all to herself. It was her special dream; her special thoughts.

A soft smile spread across her lips, as she thought about it again. Her voice became soft, as she whispered into the still night air. "So warm. . ."

XxXxXxX

"Concentrate, Tsukiko!" Kero instructed. "You have to concentrate!"

"I'm trying!" Tsukiko snapped back at him. She held her hands in a fist and squinted her eyes shut, trying to follow what Kero had told her. "It's not working! I don't think it'll work."

"That's the only spell I can think of though that would help out," Kero sighed. "I don't know what else would work."

_Fuuka Shourai. . ._Tsukiko thought to herself, keeping her eyelids close together. _Fuuka Shourai. . ._

She tried saying the words again, her eyes flinging open. She screamed the words, putting every ounce of thought and energy into those two words.

Nothing happened.

She looked over at Kero for help, but he was just as lost as she was. "I don't know, Tsukiko." he said sadly. "I don't understand why it's not working. This is the basic spell. . .it should work!"

Tsukiko bit her lower lip. "Maybe you have the wrong girl."

"I know that's not it!" Kero snapped. "You're the right girl. Li-san came after _you_, remember?" The girl didn't say anything, so he figured she understood. He sighed, keeping himself afloat in the air. "Okay, let's try one more time. Make sure you're pronouncing it clearly."

Tsukiko nodded, but inside she was complaining. _I've done this eight times already! _She yelled at him inside her. _Can't you see it doesn't work!? _She refrained herself from saying anything; after all, she had made that promise to be friends with him, right?

"Fuuka SHOURAI!" Tsukiko yelled at her mightiest, her thoughts only on pushing the wind towards Kero. But the air stayed still; nothing happened.

Kero rubbed the back of his head. "I don't understand! What's going on here!?"

Tsukiko let her hands swing to her side lazily and walked over closer to Kero. "You said it's a basic spell, ne?" She asked carefully. "Maybe I can only use my own spells. Spells I've made up."

"That's the problem!" Kero's voice hinted in rage. "I don't think you can do that just yet. Creating your own spell is some pretty advanced magic, and you're just too new at this to do that sort of thing yet."

"Then what am I suppose to do?"

Horror flooded Tsukiko's body as terrifying images surfed through her mind. If she couldn't use magic, how was she suppose to protect herself against Li? Not that Kero wouldn't try and protect her, but it was the stubborn side of her coming out again; she wanted to be able to take care of herself as well. Images of being alone and defenseless in front of a smirking Li made her shudder. What was she to do if she couldn't use her own magic?

"I'm not sure," Kero answered honestly. "The spell isn't working for you, that's for certain though. I don't know why, but your magic just doesn't want to work with those words."

"But what can I do then!?" Tsukiko began to get impatient. "I need to use my magic, ne? T-to protect myself?"

"Don't worry," Kero said as if trying to calm her. "We'll sort this out. We just need to find a way around it. Think of it as a minor set back."

Tsukiko wanted to argue; she wanted to protest and scream at him to get her magic working. Of course, that wouldn't be right. It was _her _magic, meaning it wasn't one bit his fault it wasn't working the way it was suppose to. She sighed, and opened her tote bag to allow him to fly back into it. All her way home, she began thinking to herself of ways to fix this.

_Come on, _she yelled at herself. _You can do this! You have to! _

XxXxXxX

Her fingers folded into her open palm, as she pressed her middle and index finger fingers from both hands together. Her mouth opened, as slow memorizing words formed. . .

"_. . . ou"_

Tsukiko's eyes flew open, but her body remained lying down underneath the warm soft sheets of her bed. She blinked a few times, realizing the room was still fairly dark from the night sky. The full moon's rays created a bright pattern on her sheets, as the glow streamed through her window. Atop of her feet, she felt the warmth of Kero's sleeping body.

A small smile spread across her face as the dream floated back into her mind. She closed her eyes softly, and gave a small chuckle.

XxXxXxX

The sunlight streamed through the open blinds of the room, making the sleeping girl squint and go blind by the sudden rays. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the morning light, before giving up and draping her arm over her eyes. And she would have gone to sleep, too, if not the loud annoying voice talking very loudly into her ear.

"Wake UP!" He screamed. "You've already slept in, and you're mother's already called you TWICE!" When this didn't work, and he only got a small grunt in reply, and added "And you're going to be late for school."

Tsukiko slid the arm off her one eye and peeked over at Kero, standing on her pillow beside her. She gave another grunt, but this time sat up. "I won't be late," she simply said, throwing off the covers and slipping on her slippers. "I'm never late."

She began to dress for school, quickly throwing off her pajamas and grabbing a clean uniform from her closet. As she smoothed over her clean blouse, she couldn't help but smile as her hand ran over her chest, over the moon. The nights dream she had was coming back to her, and she suddenly felt as though she would burst unless she said something. Soon.

"Umm. . .Kero-chan?" Tsukiko began, a huge smiling begging to appear on her face. She pulled on her blazer and turned to the creature sitting on her bed. "I-I think I may have solved my problem with my magic."

Kero gave her a look over, appearing a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"I-I had another dream last night. . ." Tsukiko tried to explain. With this, the tiny things eyes widened. He began quickly instructing the girl to get her bag and hurry downstairs. She was basically pushed down the stairs before he dove into her bag.

"Ohayou, Tsuki-san." Her father smiled brightly as his daughter approached the dining room. "You're up late."

"Gomen gomen." Tsukiko smiled as her mother joined them. "My alarm didn't go off."

"Demo, I called up to you a few times," her mother said concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

Tsukiko gave another smile and nodded. "Un, I feel great!"

Her parents looked at each other, as if trying to ask questions between themselves with their eyes. Both gave a blank look to the other. The mother was the first to look back at the girl. "Well, do you have time for breakfast then?"

Tsukiko opened her mouth to talk, but was cut off by her father. "Of course she does!" He laughed. "She's a growing girl, she needs to eat! I'll just drive her in this morning."

Again, Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak but quickly clamped it close. She bit her tongue, compressing a scream, as something sharp poked her in the side from her bag. She got the hint. "I'll get something at school," she tried to explain. "I really want to walk today."

Both parents gave her a confused look as she walked out of the room to put on her shoes. The woman looked over at her husband, looking almost hurt that their daughter had decided to leave so early. The man seemed to read his wife's thoughts, and reached out for her hand in a comforting way.

"We have to give her room to grow, Hanako."

The woman sighed, and squeezed her husbands hand. "I know, I just don't want to."

Once outside, Tsukiko sighed. She walked a few steps before opening her bag to let Kero out. She glared at him, as he held a sharpened pencil in his paws.

"Did you poke me with that?" She asked menacingly.

A small smirk rose from his face. "I needed to get you out of there, and I very well couldn't say somethin', now could I?"

Tsukiko could have throttle him right then and there, if it wasn't for the panicking feeling that took over her anger as the tiny creature flew out of her bag into the open. "Wh-what do you think you're doing!?"

"C'mon, we're going to the park," he told her. "It doesn't matter if you're a little late."

She looked at him in disbelief, as a small nervous smiles broke over her lips. "Yes, it does."

"'Course not!" He said happily as he lead her away from the sidewalk and towards their little spot just beyond Penguin Park. "I just want to hear what you have to tell, and see if it works!"

He led her to their little spot surrounded by trees and crossed his arms, as if waiting for some big explosion from her. He lifted an eyebrow, waiting for her to tell him about her dream. Tsukiko suddenly felt awkward, and shifted her feet uncomfortably.

"All I meant," she began quietly. "Was that I think I may know the spell I need to use. A-and it's my own, I think."

Kero waited for her to continue, and when she didn't, he said impatiently, "Well, let's see!"

Tsukiko looked at him blankly; right here? Now? She looked around, but even the park was empty that early in the morning. She tried to recall everything she saw the night before, and closed her eyes to manipulate it.

She pushed her two index and middle fingers together, keeping the rest of her fingers tightly against her palm. She took a deep breath, and tried to remember the words she heard in her dream.

"Kaze. . ." she began to mumble to herself. "Kaze. . ."

She could feel Kero's anticipating gaze on her, waiting for her to complete the spell. She took another deep breath; she wanted to get this right, and even though the dream was quite vivid in her mind, she wanted to make sure.

"Kaze UMOU!" Her eyelids flew open, and her right set of fingers left their sisters. Keeping her middle and index finger together and in position, she pointed them towards Kero. Suddenly, the wind around her fingers picked up and shot towards the tiny thing, hurdling him towards a tree. He hit the tree with great force, making him grunt in pain.

Even when the power died down, Tsukiko stayed in her stance; her fingers stayed pointed towards Kero, even though nothing more came from them. She stared in awe at her fingers; at herself. Had she done _that? _The power. . .when it had left her, she could feel it flowing through her body like an energy surge. She felt it grow and leave her, like a giant force just waiting to be awakened. And awake it was.

Kero peeled himself off the tree, rubbing the fairly large bump on the back of his head. He looked over at the girl, who was still stricken with the look of amazement, and grinned. "And here I thought you couldn't make a spell."

"That. . .that was all me. . ." Tsukiko realized. "Those were my words. And. . .and my magic, ne?"

Kero nodded, "It was all you, kid."

"Demo. . .demo, you said I was too new to make a spell, ne? Then how come. . ?"

"I already told you," Kero continued to grin. "You have amazing power. I guess I should't have underestimated it."

Tsukiko also grinned, pulling her hand back finally and looking down at her now opened palm. It was all her. Her words. Her magic. Her power. Her grin grew as the realization settled in; she had figured it out all on her own.

Suddenly, the hairs on her neck stood up. A prickling sensation was felt in her left breast. Something wasn't right at all.

"Looks like I was right after all," a sly voice spoke from behind her.

Tsukiko slowly turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the tall Chinese man. She heard Kero's deep growl from behind her, and looked back to see he had already changed to his larger form. He stood on all fours, crouching close to the ground, ready to attack.

"Damn you, Li-san!" Kero growled.

The man smiled sickly, but kept his attention on the girl. "I was just strolling by and saw all this. Now, is it such a crime to be a curious citizen?"

Kero's growl deepened. "Like hell you were just 'strolling by'."

"What do you want?" Tsukiko heard herself ask.

The man's smile widened, making her stomach turn. "I'm sure you already know that, as I am sure Keroberus has explained everything to you by now."

"You shut your trap, Li-san!" Kero yelled.

This only made the man smirk harder. Oh, he knew Kero was not allowed to tell her everything, since he was sure his mistress would have asked him not to. Maybe he could just let something slip. . .

"I felt her using her magic. Quite strong, ne? Just like we all predicted,." Li smirked. "But it is quite distinctive; I'd say she's the only one around with such strong magic. Well, almost."

"What do you mean 'we all predicted'?" Tsukiko asked, making the mistake to lower her guard.

"Don't listen to him," Kero instructed. "I already warned you how slimy he is."

Li looked at the two, paying close attention to the girl. He knew that Keroberus would only attack him if he tried to harm the girl—which he would—and that Kero couldn't do much until he did. His gaze followed down onto the girl's shaking balled up fist.

"Leave me alone, please." Her voice was strong and solid as she kept her fear hidden.

"Now, why would I do that?"

Tsukiko gave a low growl herself; she never was one for patience. On their own accord, or so it seemed, her index and middle fingers jerked together, and her gaze stayed upon the man. Her mind was clear; she could feel the power beginning to surge through her once again.

"Kaze. . ." she pointed towards the man with her right set of fingers. "UMOU!"

The man was thrown back into an old tree's trunk. Even with his powerful magic, he had not suspected that much power to come from her tiny body. Then he remembered another small girl that did the same thing once; he groaned with the horrid memory. Li pried himself off the tree and shook himself, as if trying to shake off what had happened.

"Quite powerful, indeed." He restated. He laid out his palms flat in front of him, and with a flash of long light, his sword appeared in his hands once again. He gripped the handle and kept it firmly at his side. "Too bad I'll have to do this."

He threw himself towards her; his movements were quick and she didn't have time to move. Li pinned her to the tree, holding his blade close to her neck.

"TSUKIKO!" Her guardian yelled in horror. He had forgotten just how quick Li could be.

Tsukiko kept her face straight, showing no sign of fear. The man had a steady hand, being careful not to let the sharp metal slip.

"If it wasn't for your power, I might have decided to kill you right now." Li whispered so only she could hear. He knew Kero would not dare move while he was in this position, in fear of hurting the girl. "I want to, believe me. I've waited _years_ to get payback. But, this might be fun. For both me being able to fight you, and for you finding out the horrid truth of it all."

He roughly let go of her, and took a step back. The girl remained standing, her blazing look never falling for an instant. She looked down at the swords handle, and frowned at the Chinese characters.

The man then turned to Kero, and smirked. "You should tell her, you know. She deserves that much."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Li-san!" Kero lunged between Li and Tsukiko, creating a wall between them. Li grinned, and disappeared yet again.

Tsukiko just stood there, the reality finally hitting her. She began to shake, playing in her mind the events in the past fifteen minutes. That blade was so close. One slip, and. . .she shuddered thinking about it.

"Tsukiko?" A distant voice asked.

Her thoughts resurfaced from the muddy place she had been, and saw the concern lurking in the, once again, tiny beady eyes of the smaller Kero.

"I'm fine," she said bluntly. She wasn't, really, and they both knew it. "Let's just go."

XxXxXxX

A set of grey eyes peered down through his large glasses, looking quite surprised. The owner, a man in his forties, clasped his hands together and set them in his lap. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, the grey eyes looking down at the person sitting in the seat in front of him.

"We were calling down for changes last week, Nanami-san." The man spoke slowly and clearly. "Are you sure you want to do this now? You're already a week into classes."

"I promise I'll catch up," Tsukiko said hurriedly. "I'll even go in during lunches."

The guidance teacher looked at her questioningly through his glasses, not knowing quite what to say. The girls eyes looked so determined, he had to admit that. He gave a long stare, waiting for her to back down on her attempt. When she didn't, he could only sigh heavily. He opened a red binder and pulled out a sheet with writing.

"I'll need both sensei's to sign this," he told her. "Then bring it back to me. If you bring it back before lunch ends, I may be able to get you in for tomorrow."

A large smile spread across Tsukiko's lips, making her whole face light up. She gratefully took the sheet and stood up, giving a small bow to the man.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Iwasaki-sensei."

XxXxXxX

"You have to be kidding?" Akimi exclaimed over the noise in the hallway. The day was thankfully over, and the traffic in the halls was normal. "Why would you want to do that!?"

Tsukiko put on a huge smile and shrugged. Well, so much for her friends understanding. "I don't know, it may be interesting learning a different language, don't you think?"

Akimi still gave her a disbelieving look. "Yes, but, _Chinese?_ We're already taking English, why Chinese too? What's with the sudden interest?"

"I don't know," Tsukiko lied, pressing her sliding books closer to her. "I thought it'd be fun."

"Does Iwakura-kun know yet?"

Tsukiko bit her lip and shook her head. No. She had tried during gym class, but the girls ended up having class inside for the start of gymnastics while the boys stayed outside for soccer. And during lunch she was having to get the paper signed, so she ended up not seeing either of her friends.

"I'll tell him tonight," Tsukiko reassured. "He's walking home with us, ne?"

Akimi didn't answer, or at least, if she did Tsukiko couldn't hear her. They both squinted from the bright sun as they opened the front doors to outside. Tsukiko gave a quick look around, and found Akatsuki already waiting by a close by tree. She smiled, and made her way over, Akimi not far behind her. As they approached, a smile grew across his face.

"Ready?" Akatsuki asked the two approaching girls. He saw the two exchange a look; Tsukiko looking a bit guilty and Akimi looking peeved. He frowned, seeing the girls look like this. "What's going on?"

"Tsukiko-chan's switching classes to take Chinese." Akimi stated blunty.

Akatsuki gave a small shocked look and turned to the amber eyed girl. "Really?" He asked surprised. "Why?"

Tsukiko looked as though she was becoming quite flustered. "I didn't think it'd be such a big deal with you two."

"It's not!" Akatsuki said quickly, receiving a glare from Akimi. "I'm just curious."

"I just think it's be interesting to learn Mandarin, that's all. China is our neighbour, after all."

"And that's the only reason? Them being neighbours with us?" Akatsuki asked confused. His gaze sent an unfamiliar shiver down Tsukikos spine; his look was as though it could cut right through her and see the truth behind her reasons.

Still, she kept her smile on; the smile that hid her frightening reasons. "Un!"

Something settled in the boys mind, as he gave her another confused look. "What class are you dropping then?"

Tsukiko looked towards the ground and began shuffling her feet. She should've known this was going to come up from one of them. "Last period," she said quietly. "Gym."

Both friends eyes rapidly grew in a surprised manner.

"Gym!?" Akimi practically yelled. "But you _love_ that class! It's always been a favourite of yours!"

"Sou nee—"

"Why gym!?" Akimi continued aggressively. "It doesn't make sense to me! That's suppose to be your easy class, ne?"

"It was the only time Mandarin is offered for our grade during this trimester, so I had to drop it."

"If it was the only time, why take it?" Akimi pressed on.

Tsukiko was truly confused; why was her friend so upset? It wasn't like they were in the same class that period anyways, so why was she reacting this way? Akimi almost sounded angry that she was switching classes, or maybe it was just her confusion coming out in this angry way. It was confusing in itself, Akimi's reaction.

"I just thought it'd be an interesting course," Tsukiko repeated. She also found herself getting wound up, but because of her friends attitude.

Akimi's look softened. "What's going on with you, Tsukiko-chan? For the past two days you haven't walked home with me, after years of constantly walking together. And now, this? What's going on? Why aren't you telling us? I don't get it!"

"I something really going on, Nanami-san?" Akatsuki's soft voice stopped Tsukiko from answering, and broke the girls small argument. "If there is, maybe we can help."

Tsukiko have a small chuckle within; _Yeah, right! _She thought, but of course, gave a different answer. She hid behind her smile again, and shook her head. "Iie, nothing's wrong, honestly. I'm just interested in it."

"Okay," Akatsuki spoke before Akimi could get a word out of her already opened mouth. "I won't bother you about it anymore then. If you say nothing's wrong, then nothing's wrong."

Tsukiko sighed, grateful for Akatsuki's response and the fact that his words seemed to stop Akimi from going any further. "Arigatou, Iwakura-kun," the amber eyed girl smiled a true smile.

They turned to leave, when something caught Tsukiko's gaze. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Over at the exit-gate was a tall figure leaning on the fencing. He was eyeing the three menacingly, but even more so at Tsukiko. Akatsuki followed her gaze and frowned. A low growl erupted from his throat. "Ito-kun. . ."

Akimi looked over to see what her two friends were eyeing, and gave a small quiet 'oh.' She turned to Tsukiko, who was looking a bit frightened and rested her hand on her shoulder comforting.

"Maybe we should leave out through the other gate—"

"Iie," Tsukiko shook her head. She turned to her two friends and forced a nervous smile. "I need to talk to him. We haven't talked since. . ." she trailed off, but it didn't matter. Both knew when she was talking about. "So, I need to talk to him."

"We'll come with you," Akimi said comforting. "In case he does anything stupid."

"Iie," Tsukiko said again. "I need to talk to him. Alone." She looked over at Akatsuki, who's look was telling her he didn't like the idea. "Don't worry," she directed more so towards him. "He wouldn't hurt me."

"But he already has," Akatsuki said quietly.

"I'll be fine. So you two, please just wait for me."

Akimi also gave a disapproving look, but sighed and let her friend go. The other friend, however, was not going to let her walk off so easily. As she began walking over to the awaiting Kyoden, he grabbed her wrist. His large green eyes gave her a concerning look.

"If he does anything to you. . ." he trailed off, darting his eyes to the boy waiting for her.

Tsukiko smiled, and nodded in reply. "He won't."

"Demo—"

"If he does," she continued quietly. "I'll tell you. Doomo." She gently tugged away, and walked over toward the other boy, ignoring the two sets of troubled eyes behind her. She walked up to him, faced him, and took a deep breath in a way as to try and stop her shaking. His empty eyes looked down at her in an unfamiliar way.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated bluntly. "Why?"

Tsukiko took another deep breath. "You know why, Kyoden-kun. I. . I don't think we should be seeing each other anymore."

He gave a small, unemotional chuckle. "Clearly you don't want to," he stopped, and eyed her bitterly. He grinded his teeth together in anger and let his gaze pierce her. "Are you avoiding me to be with that gaki?" He asked wrathfully.

"Iwakura-kun?" She asked. His jaw tightened at her and grinded his teeth harder. She blushed furiously and shook her head. "Iie! We're friends! That's all!"

"So what, this is it?" He continued in his bitterly low voice. "You're just going to pretend you don't know me, just because of some stupid incident?"

It was Tsukiko's turn to tighten her jaw. "It wasn't some stupid incident, Ito-kun." The boy was quick to notice her change in his name. "Akimi-chan was right from the beginning. . .you're just some stupid, useless, lost boy who doesn't understand what a relationship is at all."

His eyes filled with rage, as they narrowed on the girl. He balled up his fist, his whole body shaking in anger.

A pair of green eyes narrowed on the new fist.

"I'm _what!?_" he asked quietly. "I hope that I heard you wrong, for your sake."

"I said," Tsukiko began restating boldly. "That you were only a stupid, useless, lost boy who doesn't understand what a relationship is at all!"

Before he could get another word out, a protective arm wrapped around Tsukiko's petit body and turned her away, in the direction of home. The girl looked up to see Akatsuki, not looking at her. Akimi's quickened pace to keep up was heard not far behind them.

"That's right!" Kyoden was heard yelling. "Walk away with that stupid boy of yours! You two deserve each other!"

The grip on Tsukiko tightened, as he jerked his head back towards him. Their pace didn't slow down, but rather remained its speed. "Shut the hell up, now." Akatsuki said threateningly.

"What, this is it!?" Kyoden ignored the boys tone. "We're done then, Tsukiko?"

Tsukiko stopped, making her two friends do the same. She knew her trembling could be felt through Akatsuki's protecting body, even though his grip was slowly lessening on her. His hand fell back to his side, as he saw the girls eyes deepen with unexplainable emotion. She didn't turn around, but let her gaze wander towards the ground. "Hai. . ."

She began to swiftly walk away, as her friends tried to keep up.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Akimis soft voice asked as she caught up to Tsukiko.

"Un," Tsukikos attention darted back up from the ground. Still, he voice remained stingy. "Daijoubu desu."

"Gomen na," Akatsuki's voice was heard next. "I know you wanted to do that on your own. Demo. . .I didn't like how it was going, and—"

"Iie," Tsukiko turned to him and gave a weak smile. "Arigatou, Iwakura-kun. It was getting out of control."

Something strange was growing between the three, and Tsukiko could feel it. What the changes were between the group though, she wasn't sure of.

**XxXxXxX**

**A/N— There is going to be a tiny break, meaning that although I usually update weekly (Sundays), I'm expecting Chapter Seven to be long and complicated. So that I don't feel rushed, I'm going to skip a week of updating, and it'll be up the week after. If you'd like, on my FF-homepage, I keep a schedule for 'Hoshi no Kodomo', as well as spoilers :)**


	8. Chapter 7: New Questions

_**A/N—**__ Just a quick correction: I was going through my previous chapters and I realized I made one mistake quite frequently in my Japanese. I don't know why I kept writing 'daijoubi' instead of 'daijoubu'...I kept making that same type. So, please except my apology for that, as it is actually DAIJOUBU._

_**Chapter seven: New Questions**_

_**-two weeks later-**_

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute,?" A woman's gentle voice cooed. Her arms reached out and lifted something, cradling it in her arms. You could see her, but only up until her nose. Her eyes and most of her hair was covered by an invisible force. _

"_She's beautiful," a man's deep and husky voice spoke. "Just like you."_

_The woman seemed to ignore this and kept cooing at the thing wrapped in soft pink blankets in her arms. "She has your eyes."_

_The man smiled; you couldn't see his eyes, just his smile. Like the woman, his face was concealed from his nose up. His lips moved as he spoke. "Yes, but everything else is you."_

"_Not true," the woman continued softly. Whether she was focusing her attention to the man or the thing more was unknown. "Both have your unruly chestnut hair."_

"_Is awake yet?" The man asked. _

"_Iie, he's still sound asleep." The woman sighed and continued cooing softly to the swaddled package in her arms. "This one loves sleeping, but not during the day. She's stubborn," she smirked. "Just like her father."_

_A rough looking hand reached for the package in the woman's arms, and lightly touched the object in the blanket. The man's lips turned into an amused smile for some reason._

"_She's got you wrapped around her little finger already, ne?" The woman smirked. _

_The man's smile grew. He joined the woman in cooing to the blankets. "They both do."_

_Just then, a distant crying of a young infant was faintly heard. Both adults stopped to listen to the noise, and the man gave a small chuckle. "Look's like he's awake." _

"_I'll get h—"_

"_Iie, let me." He leaned down and kissed the small, fragile package in the woman's arms and smiled. "I'll be back with in a second." He told the woman._

_All the sudden, the room grew dark and cold. Blackness sucked in the woman holding the package, and soon later so was the man, who had drawn his arms around the woman as a way to protect her. There was a scream, and a frantic cry of a young infant. Someone screamed an unheard name as a cold, low laugh was heard in the background. . ._

Tsukiko bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath. Cold sweat covered her entire body, as her breathing became rough and raspy. Her fist had subconsciously gripped the bed sheets in a tight white-knuckle grip. She slowed down her breathing with great force, and brought her hand up to her head, cradling it.

"What the. . ?" She whispered hoarsely into the still night's air. She had never seen that before, and it was making her whole body shake with. . .fear? It had to be fear. But why? The dream was always so happy, it was always so peaceful. What was this?

"It has to mean something," she whispered to herself as she laid back down in bed. She closed her eyes and frowned, afraid to fall back to sleep and hear that shuddering laugh. "But what?"

XxXxXxX

"Something _is_ going on, Tsukiko-chan." Akimi had cornered Tsukiko on their way to lunch. "I know it. The way you've been acting. . .it's odd."

Tsukiko tried to give her friend a look saying 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about', and received a pair of eyes rolling back at her. Akimi had pulled her into a less crowded hall on their way to lunch, and begun interrogating her. Tsukiko had tried to weasel herself out of it, giving the same answer she had given time and time again; that nothing was wrong. Unfortunately, Akimi had not bought that answer once.

She rolled her eyes again. "Oh, puh-_leeze_, Tsukiko-chan. I've known you for how long? And you think that I can't see something's wrong with you? Something different?"

Tsukiko tried to keep up her innocent unknowing act, but she was quickly failing. "Honestly, Akimi-chan, I'm really alright. Everything's fine."

"Even Iwakura-kun's noticed," Akimi added. "And he hasn't known you nearly as long as I have."

"Seriously, you two need to stop exaggerating," Tsukiko smiled. "It's probably just the change with high school. You know, work wise. That's all."

"I'm not buying it," Akimi stated bitterly. "So stop giving me that junk."

Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak, quickly trying to think of something else to say. She had so tried to hide it, why was she failing so miserably? Her mouth remained opened, ready to say something, when a voice struck out from behind her.

"Hamamoto-san's right," the male voice said. "You have been acting differently."

Tsukiko turned around to see Akatsuki's large concerned eyes, beating down on her. Her mouth closed, unable to protest anymore. There was nothing she could say anymore. Neither of them bought it easily from the beginning, and now they weren't buying it at all it seemed.

When Akimi saw her mouth close as if giving up, she continued. "You walk home alone frequently, you're drawing odd things in your notebooks during class, and those weird words you mumble under your breath. Yes, I've noticed it," she added after seeing Tsukiko's shocked look.

"It's probably just the stress from high school life," Tsukiko tried to say again. "Nothing abnormal."

"Not abnormal," Akimi agreed. "Just _strange._"

Tsukiko racked her mind for something else to say. Something. Anything. Nothing was coming to her, though, and it was becoming more and more difficult to lie to her friends about all this. She had used the same excuses too many times, and now, they weren't believing her. She opened her mouth to speak, and quickly closed it.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder. She turned again to see Akatsuki still standing behind her. His eyes were sad and. . .was that hurt?

"Do you not feel like you can tell us? That you can't trust us?" He asked sadly.

Tsukiko's eyes rapidly widened. She shook her head furiously. "Iie! Th-that's not it!"

"Demo, there is something wrong." He stated. It wasn't a question.

"And there's no use to keep lying, Tsukiko-chan, we know there is! So, please, stop playing dumb with us."

"Nothing's wrong, ho—"

"Stop playing dumb!" Akimi's voice shook as it quickly increased in volume. "We know, okay!? So just tell us!"

"Nothing's—"

"Do you know how painful it is to see you this way!?" Akimi continued, ignoring her friends growing rage at being cut off and told off. "So, just tell us! It's not like anyone can get hurt by the truth—!"

_You're wrong, _Tsukiko though angrily as she spoke. _You're so wrong._ "NOTHING'S WRONG!" Her voice grew, and she swore every pair of eyes turned their way. She hadn't anticipated to be so loud, but it still didn't matter. She could see Akimi got the clue, at least.

"I see," Akimi said bitterly.

But they were so wrong, Tsukiko knew. The truth could hurt. She knew she could trust them, both of them, but what if they knew? What if they knew and tried to help her, becoming hurt in the process? Or worse. . .

No, she wouldn't think about that. They didn't know, and they never would. They were safe.

A sharp shoulder collided with Tsukiko's sending her staggering back a few steps. She turned to see who had ran into her, and saw Akimi's back fade into the sea of students on their way to lunch.

"Akimi-chan, wait!" She called out. The only reply she got was of the girls' quickened pace. Her eyes darted to Akatsuki, begging for an answer of understanding. But he, too, was giving her the look of bitter hurt. "Iwakura-kun, please. . .understand. . ."

"We're just worried about you," he said quietly, not letting his eyes meet her longing gaze. "Isn't that what friends do? Worry about each other?"

He walked off briskly after Akimi, leaving a stricken Tsukiko behind. The girl's eyes brimmed, as she realized her friends didn't understand. They didn't understand the only reason why she hid it was to protect them, to keep them safe. And now, she wondered, had she lost her friends because of it? Everything was falling around her. Why didn't they understand? Why?

_They will never understand_, a small voice spoke in the back of the girl's confused fogged mind. _Ever._

XxXxXxX

She was walking home, alone. . .again. She gave a small groan, not liking the fact even more that she was doing this. This was, after all, the main reason why her friends began interrogating her, right? It was tearing them apart.

All day, Akimi and Akatsuki hadn't talked to Tsukiko. Which, of course, was killing her since she was in the first two classes after lunch with Akimi. Even at the end of the day, when Tsukiko had left the building, no one waited for her to see if she was walking. She guessed that they had already left, and that was when it had really sunk in; she had lost them.

"Tsukiko," a small voice said from inside the bag she was carrying. A small yellow head popped out, his small beady eyes scrunched up in a concerned matter."I'm sorry for all this. It'll all work out, trust me."

Tsukiko sighed, "When will that be though, Kero-chan? My friends. . .they're mad at me. What if. . what if they don't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"C'mon, Kid, all friends fight. Doesn't mean they don't like you anymore."

"I wouldn't blame them," she said quietly. "I've been so secretive, it's not fair on their part."

"You've done that for damn good reasons, though." Kero tried to comfort her. He popped his head out of the bag more and looked around cautiously. When he didn't see anyone around them, he slowly crawled out of the bag and inched himself up the girls arm. He rested himself on her shoulder and patted her cheek, as in a way to comfort her. "It'll be okay, Tsukiko."

Tsukiko looked over at her shoulder to see the small thing trying to ease her thoughts, and couldn't help but give a small smile. She moved her hands up to pat the tiny creature and leaned her head on it, as if trying to hug him. "Arigatou, Kero-chan."

"What are friends for?" He asked quietly.

Her eyes widened with surprise, but quickly closed again, a small smile surpassing her lips. Friends. That's what the two had become. _'I want to be more than just your guardian,' _Kero told her after only a week of finding her. _'I want to be your friend, too.' _Since then, the two had not fought (well, as much) and had gotten along quite well. As long as he stayed in her room while home, and in her bag while at school.

"Arigatou," she whispered again. She began to sooth over his head, her light touches making Kero smile. She reminded him so much of his mistress, and oh, how he missed her. He even found himself missing the bickering he often had with the mistress's husband. Wow, that was difficult to admit in itself.

These gentle thoughts would have continued, if not for the fact of Tsukiko suddenly gripping onto his small body in a painful way. He gave a small squeak, waiting for her to release him. When she didn't anytime soon, he squeezed himself out from under her grip and looked at her with concerning eyes. Her eyes were shut tight, as her breathing became painful to bare_**.**_

"Tsukiko, what's wrong? Tsukiko? Tsukiko!" He said frantically, as he was not getting a response.

When she was finally able to get past the pain, she spoke harshly between breaths. "He's here. . . I don't know where, but he's somewhere really close."

Kero picked up the hint, and began looking around. He felt the girl straighten up, pushing past the pain in her breast.

It was her magic, trying to warn her of a dark-magic's presence. She often got this when Li was approaching, or if he was close enough to her. It was her powers way of telling her to be on the look out and to be ready. The only fault in the whole thing was that she was never able to know where the coward was. And since he had left her alone for nearly a week. . .

"Hiding out again were we, Li-san?" Kero said while gritting his teeth. Tsukiko turned around to see where he was looking as the small creature jumped from her shoulder and turned into his larger, more majesticself. He took his usual stance between the two.

Li was dressed in a suit, for whatever reason. And if it was not for Tsukiko's 'relationship' with him, she would have said he was a pretty attractive mid-aged man. His brown hair all tousled around, his dark eyes quite mysterious. If she had not known him, he seemed like a normal guy.

"Business," he stated slyly. "You know how that can be, ne? Keroberus?"

Kero growled lowly, but didn't give a direct answer. Tsukiko had a feeling Kero knew what Li meant; she'd have to ask him later.

"Kero-chan," Tsukiko whispered, but had a sneaky suspicion based on Li's face that he could still hear her. "Let me try today, kudasai."

"You're not strong enough," he hushed back. "Let me handle it."

Tsukiko gave a small grunt; she didn't intend to listen to him. What was the point in practicing her magic if she was never able to use it against Li? He couldn't be _that _strong, right? Kero had already said how strong she was, so surelyshe could fight him. Still, she didn't give him any clues and straightened up, watching Kero spar with Li.

Kero lunged, opening his huge mouth and allowing a large rope of red and orange flames spit out and run towards Li. A twisted smile spread across the mans mouth, as he jumped out of the way. The man held out his hand, and let his sword appear as usual. He held it out, and took out a white piece of paper. Tsukiko had never really paid attention to his magical-techniques, and suddenly wanted—no—needed to watched. She squinted at the tiny paper-charm as saw Chinese characters. She gave a small groan; she couldn't read them even if she wanted to. Not only were they too far away to make out, but she her class wasn't that far along. They hadn't learned much, in her opinion.

She saw his mouth move, as he recited a spell. The paper flew in front of his blade and lightening was thrown towards Kero. Kero was nearly hit, and attacked him with flames again.

This battled continued, in Tsukiko's mind, forever. Her whole body itched to join in the fight, but she'd stay obedient. Well, at least until she knew she couldn't take it anymore, which if it went for any longer would be quite soon.

Suddenly, Li gave a small evil smirk. He jumped behind a tree, and Kero gave a fit when he lunged after him. "That damn Li!" He grumbled. "Stupid tricks!"

Tsukiko got the hint; he had disappeared once again, like the coward he was. Her eyes began to scan for the brown-haired man, looking for any sign of where he might be. Finally, she caught a glimpse of something; something reflecting behind another tree. The reflection of something metal pointed towards the back of Kero, who was also scanning the perimeter for the man. Tsukiko's heart stopped.

"Kero-chan!" She felt the energy grow from where the reflections originwas. Kero turned to see Tsukiko's stricken face, but was confused. She couldn't take it; she never was obedient for too long. Her fingers took their position; her eyes narrowing on the one tree. "Mizu UMOU!"

A jet stream of rushing water wound over to the trunk and stuck her opponent; hard. She heard a small, anguishedscream as her attack met its target. She smiled over at Kero, stupidly letting her guard down.

Kero gave her a panicked look._"TSUKIKO!"_

Li appeared from behind the tree, completely drenched. His eyes were blazing in a frightening way. Even still, the girl kept her stance. He didn't smile as his pure black eyes narrowed angrily.

"I was being nice," he said quietly. "I wasn't going to harm you until I got that damned over-stuffed idiot over there out of my way. But if you want to be play with the big boys, let's play."

She took a stance, but was cut off from going any farther. Kero had rapidly flown over to her and head-butted her so that she slid onto his neck and then his back. He flew into the sky, trying desperately to keep the girl safe. He knew the man would come after them, but it would at least buy him some time. He felt fist clutch the skin above his shoulder blades as he flew higher into the blue sky.

"I had it covered, Kero-chan!" She said crossly. "I can handle Li-san!"

"No, Tsukiko, you can't," he said, keeping an eye out for any attacks. "You don't get it, this isn't a game. Li will kill you. Understand? Kill!"

"I know it's not a game!" She said furiously. "But let me show you! I can handle myself!"

"I was sent to protect you, and so I wi—!" He was cut off when an unannounced strong gust of wind knocked him around in the sky. He lost control as the air twisted him through the sky; no amount of effort could get him out of the magics grasp.

Tsukiko tried to hang on; her grip tightened on Kero's soft, golden fur. But as he was tossed upside down for the third time, she felt herself slide. Her hands suddenly couldn't feel the softness underneath them, and she was free.

She was falling. Falling into the unknown with no one to stop her; no one to save her. A scream caught in her throat as she felt the wind slide underneath her, but no sound came out. Someone cried out her name, but they couldn't reach her in time.

Five. . .

She closed her eyes, wanting to cry; maybe if she closed them, if she couldn't see, it wouldn't hurt.

Four. . .

She would never find out who _he_ really was, or this whole thing. She would never understand how this happened.

Three. . .

Tears swelled up in her throat, but she couldn't shed them for some reason. She was dry. Her parents, her friends. . .would they really miss her? She wanted to apologize.

Tw—

Suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. Warm, gentle hands caught her, and her pace towards the ground slowed. She dared not open her eyes and began trembling; what if it was Li? Then what? She felt them land on the ground, as the sound of uncovered feet settled on the concrete. And still, she shook.

"You can open your eyes," a soft monotone voice spoke to her. "You are safe, Young Mistress.

"The voice, she recognized, wasn't anywhere near to Li's husky and cold voice. Her eyes slowly opened, and she had to stop herself from giving a small gasp. Her eyes were immediately met with a piercing set of pure silver eyes. The eyes reminded her of a cats with their black slits. Although he looked heartless, Tsukiko felt ever so warm in his caring arms.

She couldn't speak; her voice caught deep inside her throat. He didn't smile, but she could still read the relief sketched into his elegant face. He gently placed her onto the ground. Tsukiko stood back, and gave another look over him.

His long, beautiful white hair carried silver specs throughout it. It reached the ground almost, most of it being tied back in a low and loose pony-tail with a small piece of leather. His robes were long with white, blue and silver. His wings, which had once been extended, were now tucked away behind him. She couldn't help but stare in awe at him.

"Are you harmed?" He asked in the same gentle tone. Tsukiko, unable to answer, gave a nod of her head in reply. His eyes glistened in an understanding way. "Good."

She opened her mouth to speak, finally feeling as though she could speak when a panicked scream stopped her.

"YUE-SAN!" A frantic voice was heard from the distance.

Tsukiko's heart stopped, as her eyes followed the direction the voice was coming from. Just over her vision line she could see a body running towards them. They were too far to make out at first, but as she squinted she couldn't help but let out a loud gasp.

"YUE-SAN!" The person yelled again, as they approached. "Did you catch her?"

Tsukiko couldn't believe her eyes. Why was he. . ? What was. . ?

The boy slowed down to a walk as Tsukiko and the winged-man came into view. His eyes rested on Tsukiko, giving her a surprised and speechless look. He looked as much at loss as she did. The jade eyed boy looked away from Tsukiko momentarily, and to the creature named Yue. His eyes asked the same questions that ran through the girls mind; Why was she. . ? What was. . ?

"Nanami-san," he spoke softly. "Why are you. . ? A-are you the one that fell?"

Tsukiko slowly nodded. "What are you doing here?" She finished his first question for him.

"I was. . ." he took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his head nervously. His eyes darted towards the ground, in a mean not to meet her gaze. "I was. . .er. . .well, you've been so secretive lately. I wanted to see. . .what you were keeping from us. So I, er, was sort of following you. . ."

"You where _what?_"

"You were being so secretive!" He said quickly. "And Hamamoto-san had to stay late to finish something in music, so I figured it'd be a good opportunity to find out what you want to keep from us."

"I can't _believe_ you! Don't you think I have my reasons!?"

"Tsukiko!" Kero, finally able to take control from Li's raging winds, flew down beside Tsukiko. He faced her concernedly. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"U-un, Kero-chan. Daijoubu."

Kero watched her eyes turn to the other side of her, and followed her gaze. He also gave a surprised look upon seeing Akatsuki, and angrily turned to his other side; Yue.

"Yue!" He exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing here!? You're ruining their plan!"

"I'm ruining their plan?" Yue asked in his regular, dull tone. "You were the one who dropped the girl, Keroberus."

"That wasn't my fault!" Kero said quickly. "It was that damned Li's!"

Akatsuki and Tsukiko exchanged glanced at each other before they turned, confused, to the two magical creatures.

"You two. . .know each other, then?" Akatsuki asked.

The two seemed to ignore the boy and continued with their little disagreement and their deep stares into each other.

"Nor was it my fault," Yue explained. "The boys powers are getting strong enough to pick up others magic, so he felt Li-san using his magic. It didn't help he saw someone falling from the sky to their death."

"I told you," Kero gritted his teeth tight together. "That wasn't my fault!"

A slow, sarcastic clap was heard not too far from the group. All four sets of eyes turned to Li, leaning against a tree. A greasy smile was easily found on his face as his eyes moved from one face to the next. Each face he saw only caused his smile to grow. He stopped clapping, keeping his hands together. "Well then, finally. Now I'll get some fun, ne? Keroberus? Yue?"

"You—!" Tsukiko took a step forward, her hands ready to move into position in a moments notice.

"Iie," an arm stretched out from in front of Tsukiko, stopping her from continuing. "You've already been hurt. Let me take care of it."

"I only fell, Iwakura-kun." She tried to reason. And one look back at Li's ugly, smug smile made her shake her head furiously. She wanted her share in getting back at him. "Iie! I can do this!"

Akatsuki gave a small heartless chuckle. "Somehow, I know that." He stopped, and looked back at Tsukiko. His eyes were wide with concern, and all for her. "Just. . .let me, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer, and took a few steps towards Li. The girl wanted to scream in protest. He didn't know what he was getting into! He was going to get hurt! No, Tsukiko couldn't allow that!

As if reading her thought's, Yue rested a hand on the girls shaking shoulder. The girl jumped at the touch, but quickly settled upon seeing the gentle creature. "Don't worry," he said. "That boy will be alright."

"Huh—?"

"This will be easier on me, you know that, ne?" Li smirked towards Kero and Yue. "Now that I have them both in the same place."

"Li-san," Akatsuki began quietly. The tone of bitterness Tsukiko had not heard since his fight with Kyoden was back. The girl had to stop herself from gasping upon hearing the mans name escape Akatsukis lips. "You stay away from Nanami-san."

Li gave a frightening low laugh. "Neither of you are in any position to start bartering with me, boy."

A startling smile spread across Akatsuki's lips and his chocolate bangs swept across his eyes, concealing the gleaming jade ovals. "Fine."

He clapped his hands together and twisted the palms in opposite directions. "Honno RYUUJIN!" With his fingers tight together, his right hand left the comfort of the other. He directed his hand, fingers pointed straight, towards Li as large, furious flames danced at top speed towards him.

Li tried to use his arm as a shield, and was quickly engulfed by the bright flames. Slowly, the flames cleared along with the remaining smoke by the soft breeze in the air. And yet. . .

"He's gone?" Akatsuki asked quietly, unbelieving the words as his eyes narrowed on the clearing grey smoke.

Tsukiko walked up beside the boy, her gaze lingering for any sign of Li. "Iie, he's still here."

Her fingers found their familiar places, ready. He couldn't be seen, but he was definitely still there. She could feel him. _Coward._

"Tsukiko!"

The girls amber eyes darted just in time to find Li, sword already out and holding a white strip of paper, also ready.

She didn't give it a second thought; the words already formed in her mind before Li had a chance to react. "Kaze UMOU!"

The familiar jet of high force winds erupted from her and plunged towards Li. He was driven back into the trunk of a tree, unable to move; pinned. He was trying to fight back, to resist the highly developed magic. He tried to fight against it and remove himself from the tree, but found it difficult. Damn, she was getting strong. He cursed under his breath.

Tsukiko felt herself slipping. The magic, her magic, was even too strong for her. She was quickly losing control. "K-Kero-chan!"

But it wasn't the lion to answer her plea. From behind her, glowing blue crystals darted and attacked Li. Tsukiko looked behind her towards the attacker to see Yue. His pure, white wings were extended once again as he floated not far from the ground close behind her. Kero finished the attack, though, by stepping beside Tsukiko and opened his wide mouth to allow his flames onto Li.

She couldn't hold out any longer. Her wind suddenly died down, as she stumbled back a few steps. She hunched over, and caught herself from falling to the ground by placing her shaking hands on her knees. Her hands were white from shaking and using so much power at once. She wasn't strong enough yet; Kero was right. Her grip on her knees tightened as she tried to stabilize herself.

"You. . .you can use magic?" A quiet, surprised voice asked.

Tsukiko looked up to see Akatsuki in front of her, the look of pure shock was easily identifiable across his face. She smiled, and stood back up. She rocked unstable at fist, but quickly composed herself. She smiled, "I could ask you the same thing, Iwakura-kun."

He looked taken back, but quickly settled his face to return the smile. "I suppose so."

"DAMN IT!"

Both teens whipped around to see a cursing Kero, growling at an empty tree trunk. "Li got away! We had him, too!"

Tsukiko looked over at the spot Li had once been. She groaned; surely enough, he was gone without any trace left behind. He was gone, not hiding, and she knew it. She also growled, her body shaking with anger. "He is such a—!"

"—coward?" Akatsuki finished for her.

Tsukiko sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustrated manner. "Un! He makes me so angry! As soon as you start winning—!"

"—he runs." The boy finished again, also sighing.

Tsukiko looked over at him and smiled. "Un."

"So I'll ask you again, Yue." Keros angry smaller voice asked. Looking over at her guardian, Tsukiko saw he had turned himself back to his disguised plushie form. "How could you allow him here!? You know what we were asked!"

"As I already explained, Keroberus. He felt Li-san using his magic, and wanted to protect the falling person. You can understand, Keroberus, that while I am in my human form I have almost no control and could not stop him from running here. And since I knew he wouldn't make it to the girl, I came and he followed."

"Anou. . .K-Kero-chan?" Tsukiko tried to cut into the twos argument but was ignored by both.

"Well, now what?" Kero asked the winged man. "This ruins everything!"

"Indeed," agreed Yue. "We'll have to tell them."

"You can tell them!" Spat Kero angrily. "I don't want to deal with that kid when he gets angry!" Just thinking about the reaction his Mistress's husband would have upon hearing his news made him shudder.

"Kero-chan?" Tsukiko tried again. When, again, she was unheard and the loud bickering continued, she felt herself beginning to lose her temper. She opened her mouth to yell at the two, when something warm slid into hers, and stopped her from going any farther. She looked down at the unexpected touch and saw a hand in hers. The owner of the hand gently pulled her away from the scene and began leading her down the street.

"Let's just leave them," Akatsuki offered. A tiny glitter was able to be seen dancing in his eyes. "And we can just talk."

Tsukiko smiled, and nodded as they walked down the street to a small park. It was different from the usual Penguin Park she went to, and much plainer. All that was in the park were a few benches, a small set of swings and a sandbox. It was deserted, and the girl wondered if it was because of the dullness it had. Akatsuki led her to a bench not far from the swings, resting under a tree's shade, as protection from the setting sun.

"How long have you. . ?" Akatsuki began to ask the girl slowly.

"Used magic?" She finished after his trailed off sentence. When he nodded, she sighed and tried to think of how to explain it. She wanted to give him the most truthful answer she could. "I don't know, actually. Kero-chan said I've always had it and probably was using it without knowing for most of my life. Demo, Kero-chan just found me a little over two weeks ago, and that's when he started to try and teach me how to use it properly."

Akatsuki nodded as if he understood what she meant."Yue-san found me shortly after Li-san did, about one and a half months before I moved to Tomoeda," he paused and gave a small smile as his eyes clouded over with the memories of before. "Li-san is the reason why I moved here. He attacked me on my way home, and I was stupid enough to tell my parents about 'a strange man attacking me'. They became so angry and nervous about Kyoto, especially my mom, that they decided to move to a smaller, 'safer' neighborhood. Yue-san found me the night after Li-san did, and he's been helping me since."

It was Tsukiko's turn to nod. "Kero-chan came to me a few days after Li-san first found me. If Kero-chan hadn't come when he did. . ." she trailed off, remembering the close to death experience she had with Li. She sighed, unable to find the word to finish. "Li-san is the reason why I was being to secretive with you and Akimi-chan, Iwakura-kun." she admitted. "I only did that because. . .because I was afraid that if you two knew, he'd hurt you. And I walked home alone so that I could practice, and so that if he showed up. . ."

"We wouldn't get caught in the middle, and get hurt." He finished for her. She nodded, and he couldn't help but drop his gaze to the ground. "Gomen na, we were just concerned. Demo, I see why you didn't want to say anything then. I mean, I kept this hidden because of the same reasons."

"You kept this really well hidden though!" Tsukiko complimented happily. "I mean, I never would have guessed something was up."

Akatsuki didn't reply to this, and dropped his eyes back towards the ground. He could feel her gaze, waiting for him to say something. He didn't want to bring anything up, and he knew she probably didn't know either. But. . .

"Do you know what Li-san wants with us?" He asked carefully, quietly.

Tsukiko shook her head sadly. "Iie, Kero-chan won't and can't tell me, apparently. And he hasn't let too much slip, so I don't know. Somehow, I was caught up between something that wasn't directly my fault, and that's all I know." She looked back over at the boy, who still had his head towards the ground. He was hunched over, with his forearms resting on his knees.

"My guess," she continued slowly. "Is that it's the same for you, ne?"

He nodded. "Yue-san's the same way, I haven't been told much either. He said it was because of a request he got from his Mistress, for not telling me anything."

"Mistress?" Tsukiko asked surprised, receiving a nod in reply. She gave a small laugh. "That's more than I knew. I wonder if Kero-chan and Yue-san got the same orders from the same person then. I mean, it can't be a coincidence, ne?"

"They seem to know each other," Akatsuki smiled unconsciously. He leaned back in the bench and lazily hung his arms on the back of the wood. He looked over at the girl. "Your magic feels a lot like Yue-sans. I really didn't pay any attention to you that way before now, but I definitely felt it when you sent that attack on Li-san."

The girl nodded, her chestnut coloured hair bouncing slightly in the wind with her. "Kero-chan told me my magic stems from the Moon mostly, at the moment."

"That explains it then," Akatsuki smiled. "Yue-sans magic is the Moon."

"And yours?" Tsukiko asked enthused. "What does yours stem from, then?"

"My magic is mostly the Sun right now," he began to explain. "Demo, Yue-san's trying to teach me to use my magic in the Moons way too, so that it can grow stronger. Hopefully, by doing that, my magic will be able to split into equals for the Moon and Sun."

"Kero-chans magic is from the Sun, too," she smiled, but then quickly frowned. "He wont let me use the power from the Sun, yet. He says I'm not strong enough yet. Demo. . .I know I can! I can feel it!"

"I could. . .I could help you," Akatsuki offered, taking his eyes off the girl as a mean to suppress the blush from creeping up into his cheeks. Why did he have to be this sensitive? "How to use Sun, I mean. And then you could help me with Moon."

Tsukikos face beamed as a huge smile tugged from her lips. "Hontou!? You would do that?"

"If you help me, sure."

The smile on her face grew as she nodded vigorously. "Un! That would be great!"

"When do you want to start then?" He took the chance to look over at her, feeling as though he was okay to do so without looking ridiculous.

An even larger smile swept across the girls rose-petal lips as a glint of excitement appeared in her eyes. She stood up and faced him, leaning in and clasped her hands together enthusiastically. Neither of them truly realized how close they actually were to one another, nor did they feel uncomfortable about doing so.

"How about now?" She asked with wide eyes.

His face settled into a surprised look. "N-nani? Now?"

"Yes, now!" Tsukiko straightened back up, keeping her smile on. "While Kero-chan isn't around to tell me off!"

"Are you sure?" Akatsuki asked condemningly. "You seemed tired after that lash out on Li-san, and that was your better half of your magic."

Tsukiko had to stop herself from blushing. She still became somewhat weak after using vast amounts of her power, and the boys magic seemed so strong already. Was that how he saw her? As a weak, little girl?

"I'll be fine," she said quietly. "I'm fine now."

"If you're sure. . ." Akatsuki stood up with her and smiled. "Fire or Earth first?"

Tsukiko gave him a small surprised and shocked look. "You want to help me first?"

Akatsuki gave a small nod. "You seem pretty excited to do so, so why not?" He watched her smile grow, and couldn't help but smile as well. Then, something clued into him; he had never taught anyone before. How was he suppose to now? He rubbed the back of his head nervously and took a wild guess.

"So, anou, you take your usual position, I suppose."

Tsukiko did so; she placed her fingers in their usual stance, and waited further instructions.

"You didn't give me an answer," Akatsuki said. "Fire or Earth?"

"Fire!" Tsukiko answered without a second thought. "That one seems as though it'd come in more useful."

"Okay, so," Akatsuki took another short pause, trying to figure out how he was going to explain everything. "I find Fire takes more energy to use than Earth. My hands," he showed her his stance, "rub each other harder to create more friction and stronger flames. That might also work for you, I'm guessing. But, the spell will have to be yours, I'm presuming."

All the time the boy had been explaining this, she had already began searching her mind and heat for the spell that would help her. Quickly, it seemed, the right words came to her . . ._umou_. . .

"Okay," Tsukiko took a deep breath. She rubbed her two index and middle fingers together, hard, then pointed them out like usual. The rubbing had been so hard that a small snap was heard along with a small tingling sensation left in the tips of those four particular fingers. It felt weird. "Like this?" She asked Akatsuki.

Akatsuki frowned at her, as the girl continued to look at her pointed fingers. It just didn't seem right. He couldn't explain it, but her movements just didn't seem or look right. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her without really thinking about it. He then took her wrist into his hands and held them firmly, ready to guide her.

"Here," he whispered into her ear. "Let me show you."

Tsukiko let a sharp intake of breath take over as she felt his comforting and secure arms wrap around her. Her heart began pounding uncontrollably as she felt his strong and defined body press up against her back and his warm hands wrap around her wrists. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his breath against her skin as he whispered to her.

Akatsuki, however, didn't hear nor realize any of this. He began guiding her hands after she set them back up in their regular stance. He had them so the fingers twisted slightly in opposite directions a bit to create more friction, then made them leave each other the same way Tsukiko had done previously. Again, a small tingle could be felt in the tips of her fingers, but this time there was no snap as the skin left each other.

Akatsuki smiled and gently let go of her wrists. He took a step back. "There, that seems right."

Tsukiko managed to push a creeping blush away and continued to focus. She took a deep breath, and tried to regain the spell she had had in her mind only minutes prior to. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she concentrated.

". . .umou. . .Kaji umou. . ." she whispered to herself. "Kaji umou. . ."

Another deep breath; she had to try now. It was time. She could feel the energy and power build up inside her, begging to be unleashed and known to the sleeping world. Her fingers found their placing as she steadied herself. Now or never. It was now or never. . .

"Kaji UMOU!"

Her fingers left each other in a swift movement as flames danced around them and out like a rope. She pointed to an open space not too far from them and let the energy flow out of her. The brightly lit red and orange coloured flames split through the calm air and quickly died off, leaving behind an astonished girl.

Her breathing became rapid. She did not move as reality slowly sunk in, _she had done it. . !_

Slowly, Tsukiko turned to the waiting boy. He, too, had an awe struck look at what she had done. Finally, his lips tugged into a smile, which in return, made Tsukiko smile as well.

She ran over towards Akatsuki and grabbed onto his hands. She began jumping up and down, squealing in excitement like a child. "Yatta! Yatta!"

Akatsuki, taken by surprise by her quick actions, stood still and watched her jump in joy. He smiled, "Yes, you did."

"Yatta!" She kept singing happily. "Yatta! Yat—!"She suddenly stopped bouncing. Her eyes glazed over in a strange way, striking panic into Akatsuki. Her hands began to slowly slip off of his.

Panicked by her sudden change, Akatsuki caught her hands in his before they had a chance to really fall. He gripped them tightly, ignoring her small moan of pain. "Nanami-san?"

She gave a small groan in reply as her eyelids fluttered close. She felt her body began to waver and become heavy. She was so tired. . .

"Nanami-san!?" He practically yelled at her as her tiny body collided with his. He caught her, her head landing softly on his chest, as he staggered back a few steps from being surprised. He roughly grabbed onto her shoulders and stood her up right. He knew the grip was harder than he actually intended, as his fingers began to dig into her shoulder. But he couldn't stop himself; he was so scared.

Tsukiko gave another groan as she slowly forced her eyes open. She smiled weakly as she brought her hands up to her eyes and began rubbing them tiredly. "Gomen ne. I'm so. . . sleepy."

His grip on her didn't loosen a bit. If anything, it tightened. "Is it because you're not strong enough yet?"

"Don't. . .sound so angry," he eyelids began to droop again as she pleaded her small request.

"Is it!?" He asked again. Akatsuki watched as a small, uncertain nod of her head gave him his answer. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip on her even more. "Naze!? You told me you would be okay! That you were fine!"

"Her power isn't strong enough to split just yet," a dull tone explained. Akatsuki looked over the almost sleeping girl to see the two guardians gliding towards them. Yue was still Yue, but Kero was in his temporary form. Kero looked quite angry but Yue had his usual, straight face on. "Although it is amazing she was able to get and use so much power from Sun, the truth of the matter is that she is not ready. As you can see, it'll make her too weak. She still needs more time to let her magic grow and adjust to her."

Kero flew over beside Tsukiko in a rage and gave her an angry glare. He began yelling at her, "What did you think you were doing!? I told you you couldn't split your magic yet, didn't I? I told you you weren't strong enough yet! Didn't I? Didn't I!? Kami, you're just as stubborn as he is!"

Tsukiko forced her eyes opened again and looked over at Kero sorrowfully. "Gomen ne," was all she managed to say. She then turn back to Akatsuki and lightly placed her hands on his, which were still placed firmly on her shoulders, and smiled. The boy blushed slightly, quickly picking up the message, and dropped his hands back to his sides.

"Gomen ne, for all this." She repeated, but this time to Akatsuki. "Doomo, for everything."

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked softly.

Tsukikos body gave a small jolt towards the sidewalk as Kero grabbed onto one of her fingers and began pulling her into the direction of home. She stumbled over her own feet the first few steps, but quickly got used to the ground she was walking on. She turned her head slightly back towards the concerned boy and lazily shook her free hand towards him.

"I'll be fine," she called out. "Mata ashita!"

Akatsuki's worried gaze lingered on the girl as she continued to stumble over her own feet as the yelling Kero still nagged on her. They walked onto the sidewalk and turned off into the direction of their home.

"That girl will be fine," Yues strong voice told Akatsuki reassuringly.

Akatsuki sighed, shoving his hands into his pant pockets. "Yeah, I know." He paused and gave Yue a confused look. Before he could ask his question, though, there was a bright flash of light as Yue turned into his temporary self; a human being.

The man that now stood before Akatsuki wasn't as tall as Yue; at least a head shorter than him. He had short, tidy, natural grey hair and light grey-brown eyes that focused behind his large but thin glasses. His facial appearance looked much softer than his actual self as Yue.

The boy sighed in frustration as he brought his attention back to the spot near the street where Tsukiko had previously been.

"Daijoubu, Akatsuki-kun?" The man asked sincerely.

"Typical of Yue-san," Akatsuki said without answering his question. "Turning back into you before I can ask him something."

"Gomen nasai," the man apologized. "My other self can be difficult at times, I've been told."

Akatsuki sighed and looked over at the odd coloured eyed man. "It's not your fault, so please don't apologize."

He sighed again and closed his eyes, letting the calm breeze blow lightly through his mess locks of chestnut hair. When it felt as though the breeze had died, when he could not feel it any longer, he frowned.

The man gave a small chuckle, his eyes casting over with memories from the long ago past. "Another told me the same thing. . ."

Akatsuki seemed to ignore him, and continued to frown. "What's going on here, Yukito-san?"

XxXxXxX

"_. . .has your beautiful and big eyes. I've always loved your eyes. . ."_

"_But. . .has your unruly hair. . .same colour, too. . ."_

_The gentle cooing stopped. In its place was a horrid, blood cold laughter. A scream, that of a woman's, called for someone. What was the name, though? The cry of an infant could be faintly heard in the background—_

_Wait, was that. . ? No, impossible. All there was was one infant; only one. But then, there was a second cry, two different cries from two different infants. . ._

_The wails increased. The screaming became more frantic. And the laughter became louder, crueler. . . _

Large eyes flew open as salty tears began to leak from the corner of the crystalized gaze.

XxXxXxX

"Ohayou, Nanami-san," Akatsuki's bright morning voice caught Tsukiko off guard as she made her way to her seat. Both Akatsuki and Akimi were already in their seats, ready for class.

Tsukiko smiled back at him, suddenly grateful for the events of the previous night. "Ohayou Iwakura-kun."

She sat down, not seeing the nasty and confused look Akimi was shooting over her shoulder to Akatsuki. In return, he gave her a small smile as if to tell her he didn't know what she meant. But she had seen that smile on someone else too many times before, and didn't fall for it for a moment.

"What ever happened to, 'if we ignore her, she'll spill'!?" Akimi hushed over to the wide eyed innocent boy, not caring that Tsukiko may have heard her.

"We're just being childish, Hamamoto-san. If she want to tell us, she'll tell us. But you and I are acting pretty childish, and I think we both know that if she doesn't want to say anything she won't."

"Well. . .I guess," she turned back around to see Tsukiko smiling happily over to her, which sent the pangs of guilt to flood through her. "Gomen."

"Iie," Tsukiko continued to smile. "I'm grateful that I have such caring friends. Demo, I have my reasons, so please just accept that."

Akimi looked into Tsukikos pleading eyes. She didn't want to accept that answer; she was Tsukikos best friend since second grade, so why couldn't she tell her this? Didn't best friends share everything? They sure did, until now, that is. Finally, Akimi gave in. One look into Tsukiko's eyes told her that she wasn't going to get a better answer.

". . .fine."

The teacher walked briskly into the room and placed his briefcase onto his desk. He turned to his class and smiled widely. "Ohayou, mina sama."

"Ohayou, sensei!"

"Please open your textbooks to page fifty-three, and open your notebooks. We have a small note to write today."

The rustling of students pulling out their books and notepads filled the room quickly as they dove into their bags and desks. All through this, Tsukiko had began tuning the world out once again and went into her own little world. Lazily, as if in a trance, she began drawing a soft and gentle looking eye on the corner of her notebook. She reached for a green highlighter from her bag and subconsciously shaded the eye in.

Her dream had, once again, become calm and back to it's regular, peaceful state. No harsh laughter or frantic cried and screams were heard during the night. Just the warm cooing of the two familiar strangers.

She closed her eyes and smiled.

XxXxXxX

The two girls met up for lunch after stopping at their lockers and, together, they made their way to the café. Akimi gave a confused look around when they sat, and then sat in her seat hesitantly.

Tsukiko was quick to notice this and frowned at her friend when Akimi finally sat down. "What's the matter?"

"Oh. . .anou. . ." she looked over at Tsukiko, a huge fake smile running across her face. "Where's Iwakura-kun?"

"He told me he had to go see his history teacher about something."

"Oh," Akimi replied with a hint of being let down in her voice. She began playing with her hands nervously in her lap. "Tsukiko-chan, could we just go walk outside for a bit?"

Tsukiko smiled and nodded, but inside she was really confused. "Sure," she followed the nervous and fairly brightly coloured Akimi outside and waited for her to say something. Something was clearly wrong, but Tsukiko didn't want to push the girl into saying anything. She couldn't be expected to be left alone and the bug Akimi; it just wouldn't be right.

"I'm really glad we're talking agian," Akimi confessed. "Iwakura-kun isn't one you can really talk to about girl things, ne?" She smiled nervously at her own joke.

Tsukiko returned the smile, grateful that she was talking to her. "I guess not."

Akimi stopped walking and turned to face the other girl. Her face burned bright red as she took a deep breath. "Tsukiko-chan, anou. . .how do you know you l-like a guy?"

Tsukiko was fairly shocked. Akimi had never shown much for signs of liking a guy all through junior high. While all the other girls were beginning to date, she was always making fun of the opposite sex and claimed that she would never need a guy.

Still, Tsukiko tried to help her troubled friend. "Well, I guess you just know. With Kyoden-kun, I was always blushing and smiling around him without really meaning to. And my heart constantly

felt as though it was going to explode. So, you just _know _I guess. . ."

"And that's how you knew?" Akimi asked hopefully. "You had _all_ those signs?"

"Un. . .why?" Tsukiko asked, playfully propping up an eyebrow.

Akimi gave a childish grin and looked back at the ground. She shuffled her feet nervously as he face stayed it's bright colour of red. "I have to admit something then. . ."

"Nani?" Tsukiko asked, excited by the fact her friend was finally showing signs of a crush of some sort.

Akimis face continued to grow in colour, "I. . .anou. . .I like— "

"_NANAMI-SAAAN!"_

Both girls turned to see who was calling for Tsukiko. Tsukiko missed her friends rapid colour change upon seeing Akatsuki running towards the two. In his arms in a tight grasp was a school text book with a few loose looking papers sticking out of its pages. He stopped beside Tsukiko and took her upper arm into his hand.

"Can I borrow her quickly?" Akatsuki asked, not waiting for a reply as he pulled Tsukiko far enough away so that no one, including, Akimi could hear them.

Tsukiko turned her head towards Akimi and mouthed an apology. She then held up a single finger as if to signal her she'd just be a few minutes and to wait for her. Akimi waved back and forced a small smile as she saw the two standing alone with each other.

Akatsukis eyes lit up as he looked down at Tsukiko. The girl gave a small, sarcastic smile, "Nani?"

He opened his text book to where the papers were sticking out. There was a small, painted looking picture of a man with somewhat long brown hair bowing to a man, the Emperor it looked like, with tidy short white hair.

The boy began to read:

"_During the Edo Period, 1603—1865, the empire of Nihon was having many financial problems. The current emperor, Emperor Momozono, turned to his close Chinese friend Li Chen, the leader of the Li Clan. The Li Clan, then being second to power in China, helped the Emperor and remained having their close ties to both the country of Nihon and the Emperor. . . "_

Akatsuki looked up from the passage in the book and to Tsukiko, who was carefully re-reading the text. A small glint ignited in his eyes, knowing he knew something important. Like a small child near Christmas.

"What about it?" Tsukiko finally asked, looking up at Akatsuki.

Akatsuki gave her a look as though he couldn't believe her, then pointed back at the text. "Li? _Li Clan?"_

Tsukiko caught on and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Do you know how many Li's there are in China?"

"Tsukiko's right, Kid," Kero poked his head out of the girls tote bag.

Tsukiko felt herself panic at the sight of the round yellow head revealing itself and the possibility of him being seen. "Kero-chan! Get back in the bag!"

Kero ignored her and continued to speak to Akatsuki. "Li is one of the most common names in China, so you can't be sure that your Li is related to that Li. That was years ago, the odds are—"

"The odds are apparently really good," Akatsuki smiled as he interrupted Kero. "I talked to Ihara-sensei, my history teacher, and she said the same thing you just did. But then she became interested and said if I wanted to find out if these two Li's are related it'd be easy because of how powerful and huge the Li Clan is. Li Chen was only the fourth generation of the Clan."

"You told your teacher about Li-san!? Are you crazy!" Tsukiko asked angrily.

Akatsuki's face fell into a sheepish grin. "Not exactly, I'm not that stupid. I told her. . .I have a friend named Li, and he wanted to find out if he was related to this Li Clan."

"Iwakura-kun!

The boy ignored her annoyed and angry outburst and continued. He pulled out the papers from the textbook and gave the book to Tsukiko to hold. He held out the papers, five pieces all connected with tape vertically.

"This," he began happily. "Is the Li Clan family tree. It traces all the way back to the first generation, so Li Chen-sans great grandparents, up until about five years ago."

Tsukiko swung her bag with Kero over to her shoulder and rolled the textbook onto her hip. She took the bottom of the last paper and looked at the most recent names, either the newest generation or her parents generations. The name that jumped out at her the most was—

"Li Xin-san," Tsukiko pursed her lips together.

Akatsuki nodded, "And from what Ihara-sensei says, he looks to be one of the three candidates for becoming the head of the Li Clan, since he was only one of three boys born into the Li families for that generation."

"One of three?" Tsukiko asked. "So that means he may have that sort of power as well as his magical powers?"

Tsukiko remembered vaguely hearing about the Li Clan in her Mandarin course. The teacher had described the Li's as being basically second to the government in China and that he was surprised that they didn't rise and control the country. The basically controlled many of the major cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai. The teacher had described them as having so much power, they could have people killed and get away with it without much thought.

"Hai, one of three," Akatsuki repeated. "Demo, he's not the head of the Li Clan."

Tsukiko's eyes darted back to the bottom of the page and scanned over the names, looking for the other two males names. She squinted to read the Chinese characterized names. "Looks like there's Li Xiao Lang and Li He-Ping."

"That's the one!" Akatsuki said, grabbing the paper out of Tsukiko's hands. "Li Xiao Lang. Ihara-sensei said he was the current Clan leader."

Tsukiko gave a loud sigh, relieved by the fact that Li Xin didn't have that much power as head of the Li Clan. Because he was part of the Clan, she knew he'd still have power but at least it wasn't as much as he would have as their leader. She smiled, looking down at the paper Akatsuki held in his hands curiously. Her eyes landed on the Clans leader. A small horizontal line was drawn to his names left, connecting him to the Chinese characters name for 'Ying Fa'. And adjacent to the horizontal line was a short vertical line. She frowned, recognizing the characters. There was two name branches, both read close to the same thing:

_Li Baby- 1._

_Li Baby- 2._

Tsukiko frowned, and couldn't help but feel a small bubble of anger pop inside her. Why weren't the babies named? She was going to say something to Akatsuki when she saw the white sheets of paper fly out of the boys hands at lightening speed.

Kero grabbed the papers from Akatsuki in a panic, and stuffed it down under him into the tote bag. He'd get rid of it as soon as he could.

"You kids are looking way too far into this," Kero said sternly. "It's pointless."

"Demo, Kero-chan," Tsukiko began. "Since we know this, it explains his frequent and long disappearances. It's because of his duties to the Li Clan, ne?"

"Un," Akatsuki continued, picking up where she left off without missing a beat. "And if we know this, maybe we can figure out when he's going to be away from Japan and in China. Then we can plan our attacks better and—"

"You kids are looking too far into this whole thing," Kero repeated, cutting Akatsuki off. "Just give it up."

"Demo—!"

Kero cut the two simultaneous voices and flew out of the bag, into the air. Ignoring Tsukiko's panic struck voice, he turned to Akatsuki. His face matched his extremely serious tone. "Where's the white rabbit?"

"White rabbit?" Akatsuki asked confusingly. "Who? Yukito-san?"

"Yeah, where is he? I don't have all day kid, c'mon."

"Third floor science department. He'll be in the last room at the end of the hallway."

Kero nodded and flew off. Tsukiko, panicking, felt her whole body stiffen.

"Kero-chan! Someone's going to see you!" When she realized he was ignoring her once again, she had to close her eyes and bite her tongue just to stop herself from screaming at him and drawing attention to the group. When her emotions settled down, she turned down, she turned back to Akatsuki, confused.

"Why would Kero-chan want to see Kinomoto-sensei?"

Akatsuki gave her a blank look, as if he expected her to already know this. When he saw the total confusion sketched into her face, he came to realization that she didn't. "Yukito-san _is _Yue-san, in his temporary form. Like Kero-san is a plush toy in his temporary form."

Tsukiko groaned. "Don't let Kero-chan hear you call him a plush toy, he gets really upset."

The boy gave a small smile, as if understanding. He had seen his guardian angry, and didn't want to imagine seeing the other get angry seeing as he seemed to lose his temper much much quicker. "O-okay. . .I guess."

Tsukiko smiled; so that was why she felt odd meeting Kinomoto Yukito. Because she must have subconsciously felt the same power in him, in Yue, that was in her; Moon. Her smile grew. She turned back to Akatsuki. His eyebrows were hitched closely together as if he were in deep thought. Tsukiko frowned upon seeing his upset looking state.

"Nani—?"

"They're hiding something from us. . ." the boy said quietly.

"Who?" Tsukiko asked stupidly, not really thinking.

"_Them. _Our so called guardians."

Tsukiko sighed. "We always knew that. Of course they are."

"I know," his eyebrows hitched closer. He sighed and aggressively ran his hands through his hair. "But it's big, I can feel it. Something important that we should know about. They're. . .hiding something. . ."

Tsukiko sighed and closed her eyes. ". . .Un, I know."

XxXxXxX

_**A/N — **__--' (sweat drop) so, now you see why I took the two weeks to write this chapter. When it printed, I killed a small tree my editor said XD When it was finished, it ended up being just over twenty-six pages! Haha. . .my editor (ps—THANKS JADE-CHAN!) had a hoot going through all the pages XD Thank God she still puts up with me. _

_Thanks for all the great comments you guys are leaving! You don't know how much I enjoy them! They really do make my day!! _


	9. Chapter 8: Confusion

_**Chapter eight: Confusion**_

Tsukiko hadn't noticed the rapid change in facial colour on Akimi, nor did she realize her absence. Akimi had been watching almost jealously at the two standing alone together, talking together. Halfway through the conversation, Akimi turned and walked back towards the school. Maybe it was a saving grace she hadn't told Tsukiko about her deep, dark secret. And after seeing those two so close. . .maybe it was better if she just gave up.

XxXxXxX

Kero flew through the opened door into the science room. He quickly spotted the smiling grey haired man behind his desk at the front of the classroom and flew over, landing gracefully on the pine wood desk.

Yukito looked up from his papers, shocked to see the tiny thing standing in front of him. "Keroberus-san?" His voice showed his surprise. "What are you doing here? Did anyone see you?"

Kero crossed his arms, "We have a small problem."

"Oh?"

"I need to speak to Yue," Kero stated matter-of-factly.

Yukito nodded understandingly and quickly walked over to his door. He closed and locked it before closing his eyes and let himself be taken in large, pure white wings. The feathered wings engulfed his figure much like the ones that changed Kero to his larger form, and cocooned him. The cocoon raised a few inches off the ground as a large, glowing magical circle appeared underneath him. A bright light struck through the air before the wings parted and revealed the elegant moon guardian, Yue.

Carefully, Yue tucked his large wings behind him and approached the desk where the tiny Kero still stood. Yue also crossed his arms and stared down at him with his usual, unemotional eyes. "What did you mess up this time?" He asked in his monotone voice.

"Why is it that you always assume _I _did something wrong!?" Kero asked, angrily gritting his teeth together. He continued before Yue had a chance to give him a sarcastic answer, "The kids are beginning to look into things. They're actually finding stuff out, too, not that they've realized _it_."

"What do you mean?" Yue asked seriously. "What have they found out?"

"They know about the Li Clan, and that he belongs to it," Kero answered gravely. "Also, they saw, er, certain names."

Yue nodded as if he understood. "Do they know. . ."

"Iie, they don't know that." Kero answered quickly.

"Or that they are. . ."

"Iie," Kero answered again. "They certainly don't know that."

"But they know about them?"

"I'm not sure," Kero answered truthfully. "I know they saw his name, but I'm not sure they saw hers. Not that they really know anything about that."

"They cannot figure it out by seeing names. And even if they did," Yue added, "they don't know anything else, ne?"

"Right!" Kero nodded. "So, I guess I'm just worrying too much."

"Perhaps," Yue agreed. "Still, we have to watch them carefully, and be more careful."

"I still don't understand why they don't want those kids to know," Kero admitted in a mumble. "Especially the boy, with all he's been through. They deserve to know. . ."

"Don't doubt them," Yue said dully. "I'm sure they have their reasons."

"I know, I know."

"And it is out duty to make sure their wishes happen, and that the young Mistress and young Master never find out no matter what we believe."

Kero didn't answer, but tightened up his crossed arms. He mumbled something not meant to be heard, making Yue raise an eyebrow slightly.

He didn't like this; Kero definitely did not like this one bit. He hated lying to Tsukiko, because she reminded him so much of _her._ But, he'd keep this up, to follow his friend's request. Not because he wanted to make his Mistress happy, but because he trusted her that this would all work out in the end.

For everyone.

XxXxXxX

"You two have to _concentrate!_" Kero ordered.

Both teens stood facing each other only a few meters away, both desperately demanding fresh oxygen into their lungs. Tsukiko turned to the golden lion with anger burned into her eyes.

"We are!" She gasped between gulps of air. "We've been at this for hours!"

"And still, you're not putting forceful attacks onto each other!" Kero yelled back at the girl.

"Of course not," Akatsuki cut in. "We aren't going to hurt each other."

"But if you don't," Yue tried to explain. "Neither of you will be able to put full force attacks on Li-san. If you do not practice the way you would use your magic, then you will not be able to use your magic that way."

"But—!" Both teens tried to cut in at the same time.

Kero groaned and turned towards the winged man standing close to him. "This isn't working, Yue. They won't attack each other because they don't mean it."

"Heck no!" Tsukiko called out forcefully. In return, she received a glare from Kero that told her to keep her mouth shut.

"They have to," Yue told Kero in his usual monotone voice, his arms crossed loosely. "Otherwise, they won't be strong enough against Li-san. You know that just as well as I do."

"Then explain it to those two! Kami!"

Tsukiko rolled her eyes and broke her obedience by walking across the way Kero and Yue had laid out for them. The guardians didn't notice as they continued to try and figure out how they were going to explain it to the two stubborn teens that they must attack each other. Tsukiko stopped in front of Akatsuki and rolled her eyes again in a playful manner, making the boy smile a bit.

"I'm tired of this," she pouted playfully like a small child. "Let's sneak away and never come back!"

Akatsuki's smile grew. "I feel the same way, but they're just trying to help."

The girl crossed her arms, "Taking their side now, ne?"

He chuckled, "Never."

Simultaneously, both looked over at the two guardians. The two were still sort of arguing, and Tsukiko could only catch tiny fragments of their conversation, and therefore wasn't able to really understand what they were talking about fully. Still, a small smile tugged at her lips. The two creatures were really only trying to help and protect them.

"I thought of something last night," the boy brought his voice low and whispered into Tsukiko's ear. The girl could feel his warm breath on the base of her neck, sending a small shiver along her spine.

Tsukiko turned to see his dark eyebrows hitching close together in his own thoughtful way. She figured he had brought his voice down low so that the guardians wouldn't be able to hear him. She followed his gaze towards them, and realized her guess was correct. She also peeked over at them to see them still slightly bickering. She turned to Akatsuki and also spoke in a smaller voice.

"Nan desu ka?"

"You said Li-san attacks you because of something you were caught up in, ne? But it wasn't directly your fault, ne? And it's the same for me. . ."

"Un, what about it?

He frowned and brought his voice down even lower, looking down at her with questioning eyes. "How is it possible for us to be caught up in something with him. . . if he's from China?"

Tsukiko also frowned and scrunched up her face as if she too, too, was confused, much the same way he did. She thought about it thoroughly, and shook her head after a few moments after coming to no conclusion. No, it didn't make any sense at all. She had lived in Japan all her life, let alone the same small town of Tomoeda. It just didn't make sense.

Seeing her head slowly shake, Akatsuki continued, "Do you know anyone from China? I don't. . ."

"Iie."

"How about your parents? Li-san said it wasn't directly your fault, ne? Maybe it has something to do with your family."

"I don't think so," she answered honestly while stealing another glance over to the two guardians. "How about yours?"

It hit Tsukiko about what she had said only after the words had left her mouth and saw his face fall the way it did. His chocolate bangs brushed in front of his face, concealing his eyes and hiding his emotions.

"G-gomen!" She apologized quickly. "Demo, wh-what about your adoptive parents? Maybe they know someone."

"I don't think this has anything to do with them," he answered sincerely. "Weird things like this have always happened to me, every since I can remember. It has something to do with my actual parents. . ."

He looked up to see her apologetic face. He forced a small smile and moved a wispy strain of hair away from in front of her eyes with his finger and continued to talk, "I can't ask my parents, but you—"

"KIDDOS!" Kero suddenly appeared between them in his small form, facing Tsukiko. Yue had thought he heard the end of the two teens conversation, and Kero had raced over to them in a panic, as you could clearly see it written in his face. "Yue and I decided that you two are done for today, There, ya' happy?"

Tsukiko frowned, "Demo, Iwakura-kun and I. . ." she looked over Kero just in time to see Akatsuki shaking his head, trying to signal her to stop. She quickly understood and left her sentence unfinished, making Kero even more confused.

"Nani?" He asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Oh. . .anou, nothing. I'm happy," she smiled at Kero.

The tiny guardian switched glances between the kids, receiving the exact same fake smile from each of them, indicating that both were hiding something. Probably the same thing.

"C'mon," he instructed gruffly to Tsukiko. "We're going home. Now."

"Demo—!"

Before the girl could really say anything, Kero had grabbed one of her fingers and began tugging her away from the others and towards the sidewalk.

"Matte! Kero-chan! Just wait a moment!" She begged, but her plea was left unanswered as he continued to pull her away. She turned desperately for Akatsuki, but he couldn't do anything. Yue had a hand resting firmly on his shoulder, which was telling him to stay put. Not that he usually listened, but he knew better than to displease the moon guardian.

Upon seeing her pleading gems, he smiled at her and cupped his hands over his mouth to make sure she heard him. "Remember! Ask!"

Tsukiko nodded towards him, a hint of determination newly found in her eyes, and turned back to Kero.

Akatsuki smiled, taking in their pride for being able to work around the guardians. His smile couldn't help but grow as he felt the sharp and icy gaze Yue was giving him fall upon the top of his head, knowing that he was only confused by the boy's secretive smile.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko watched carefully as Kero flew up to the window of her bedroom. She waited until she knew he was safely inside her room and closed the curtains before opening the front door and let herself into the house.

"Tadaima!" She called out happily.

The woman with the midnight black hair stepped into the entrance hall momentarily and smiled upon seeing the guest. She held a tea towel in her hands as she tried them. "Okaeri nasai, how was the library?"

A pang of guilt washed over the girl; she had been lying to both her parents the same way she had been lying to her friends, and for the same reason. To keep them safe from Li. Not that she liked lying to them, she hated it, but she wanted to keep them safe from harm. And the only way she felt as though she could do that was to, unfortunely, keep them in the dark and continue to lie to them.

"Hai," she forced a smile. "It wasn't too crowded today."

The mother smiled and nodded in a way to beckon her daughter to follow. Tsukiko did, and followed the woman to the kitchen where she was preparing a late dinner for the family.

"I'm just going to make some udon and tempura, that sound alright?"

"Un! That sounds great!" Tsukiko began shuffling her feet as she began to think about Akatsuki's and her conversation. If she wanted to ask, she'd have to be careful with her words. "Okaa-san, do you. . .know anyone from China?"

"China, sweetheart?" The woman asked, confused.

"Er. . .un, China." Tsukiko looked over at her mother hopefully. _Careful now, girl. You can't tell her anything. You can't spill anything._

"I don't think so."

Tsukiko frowned by the words. _Another dead end. _The woman turned to see her daughters fallen face and frowned as well, trying to think harder. Suddenly, something dawned on her.

"Well. . .I suppose so. At your fathers old job, before I had you, his boss was from China."

The girl's heart jumped. _Not a dead end, more like turning a corner._ One step closer to knowing the truth, whether Kero knew about it or not. "Really? Where'd he work? I always though chichi worked at the firm he works at now."

"Not always," the woman turned her attention back to the stove. "Just before you were born, he worked at this other place. It was some Chinese company that was trying to expand into Japan."

"Then what happened?"

"They had to close down, and moved back to China."

"Nani!?" Tsukiko asked, enraged. "They just left chichi without a job, while you were pregnant!? How dare they!"

"Iie," her mother sighed. "The man was very nice about it, and very sorry to say the least. He even helped your father find a new job before he moved back to China. Actually, your father admitted that he always felt respected there by his boss. He loved that job."

"Oh. . .gomen." Tsukiko apologized bashfully. "What was his boss's name?"

"Hmmm," the woman rested her hand on her hip as she continued to stir the pot of noodles with her free hand. "Honestly, I don't remember. I think it was Ri-san, or something along those lines. Something close to that, at least."

"Ri?" Tsukiko asked, half hoping she heard wrong. "Are you sure?"

"Iie, I'm not. Honestly, I can't remember too well. You can ask your father when he gets home."

"When will that be?"

"Soon," she turned and smiled towards her daughter. "He said he'd be home for dinner tonight."

Tsukiko nodded and walked away into the livingroom, and took a seat on the leather beige couch. She rested her bag down on the on the floor beside her and pulled out the red cell phone she had gotten for her birthday that year. A small beep erupted from it as she flipped it open.

_**You have one message from: Iwakura Akatsuki**_

She smiled, remembering the previous night. _Here, _he told her as he took her phone and punched something into it, _in case we need to get a hold of each other. In case of an emergency._

Tsukiko opened the message, her smile quickly fading.

_**Akatsuki: have u talked to them yet?**_

She clicked the reply button and answered quickly and decided to lie; _**Tsukiko: Not yet**_

She'd have to answer him fully when she got an actual full answer from her father when he got home. For now, however, she turned off the mobile phone and tucked it back in her bag as she heard the front door creak open.

"Tadaima!" Her father's strong booming voice sang happily.

"Okaeri nasai!" Two female voices replied in return together.

A tall but lean man walked through the entranceway and into the livingroom. He gave a small smile towards the teen girl that sat on the couch and gave a small laugh at the scrunched up face she wore.

"What's with the face, sweetie?" He asked as he took a seat down beside her.

"What face?" Tsukiko asked honestly.

"That confused face you have on right now," he laughed slightly. "What's wrong?"

Before the girl could answer, her mother entered the room and snaked her arms around the man's neck and shoulders as she leaned down and kissed the top of his greying hair. Tsukiko smiled; even after years of marriage, her parents were still deeply in love and were always showing their affection to each other. She could only hope that she'd be able to find the same type of love someday. Her father turned his head and lightly kissed his wife's cheek.

"Anata," the woman began. "Remember that place you worked before we had Tsuki-san?"

"Hai, Li Corp. What about it?"

Tsukiko found her heart momentarily stop as did her breathing. _Li. . ._

"Tsuki-san was wondering about it. Weren't you, Tsuki-san?" Her mother asked Tsukiko as she began twirling the mans thick hair in her fingers.

Tsukiko forced out a small smile. "Hai!"

Her father smiled his warmest back at her. "Li-san, my boss, was a very nice man. He always respected his employees, no matter how low on the scale they were compared to him."

"Li-san?" Tsukiko asked carefully. "You said his name was 'Li'?"

"Hai, Li Syao. . .something," the man laughed slightly. "I don't remember his first name, gomen."

"Syao. . ? That doesn't sound Chinese though."

"Iie," her father smiled as his mind glazed over with old but fond memories. "He was young, but extremely kind and smart. Whenever he was in Japan, he would use his Japanese name. He was very kind, and always happy. Some people thought it was because of his wife, because apparently the rest of his family weren't as nice as he was."

"Wife?" Tsukiko tired to think of Li Xin and frowned; he didn't seem like a family guy. Trying to imagine Li with a wife and in love just didn't seem possible. The Li Clan was pretty big, though, so it was very possible this had nothing to do with the Li she knew. Still, she couldn't help but press on, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hm," her father nodded. "A wife. What was her name?" He turned around slightly to face his wife who's hands rested gently on his shoulders. He grinned, "You met her, didn't you? I think she liked you."

Tsukiko turned in time to see her mother blushing slightly as she lowered her voice, "I only met her the once. At that staff Christmas party you brought me to."

"She still seemed to like you," the man beamed proudly. "What was he name again?"

"Li Sakura-san," the woman said quietly. "She was born and raised in Japan. When I met her at that party she was very pregnant."

"Very nice people. . ." her father repeated, sighing as he brought old memories back into his mind. "Very nice. I could easily say I never worked for anyone better or nicer than Li-san. But," he sighed heavily again, "it wasn't working out all that well for Li Corp here in Japan and Li-san said that the company had to retract__back to China. I think the family moved back to Hong Kong? That's where Li-san told me he came from, at least."

Tsukiko looked over at her parents with adoring eyes. Her father had rested a hand lightly atop of her mothers, which remained resting on his shoulders. He gently ran his thumb across her hand as both their eyes looked into each others lovingly. Again, Tsukiko smiled, seeing her parents love for each other. Quickly, her smile sank as she began fumbling with her hands in her lap.

"So. . .anou. . .did you guys maybe owe Li-san? Maybe in dept with him or his family?"

"Dept?" Her father laughed slightly. "Owe Li-san money? Heavens, no! Li-san was very kind, and if someone needed money he'd just give it to them. It'd be great if he got the money back, but he never expected anything."

"Demo, did we ever borrow anything from them?" Tsukiko pushed on.

Her father frowned, "No. Never."

The woman lifted an eyebrow down at the girl. "Why the sudden interest? What's with all the questions?"

Tsukiko's face flushed as her mother looked down at her, almost suspiciously. She looked away from the ocean blue eyes and stood up, perhaps a bit too quickly. She grabbed her bag, which was still resting on the floor beside her, and began nervously playing with the ends of her hair.

"Anou. . .n-no reason. I better go do my homework, so please call me down when dinner's ready."

"Didn't you do it at the lib—!"

But before her mother could finish, Tsukiko had taken off and was halfway up the stairs. When they heard the distinctive sound of her bedroom door slamming shut, the two couldn't help but look at each other curiously.

The woman frowned as she moved around and took a seat next to her husband, "I'm worried about her. She's been acting strange lately, haven't you noticed? You don't think she's. . ."

"No, she doesn't know," the man put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him. He lightly kissed the top of her head as she rested it in the crook of his neck. "Don't you worry. It's just her age, I'm sure."

"But such odd questions?"

The man laughed slightly, "She always was a stubborn child."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko ran upstairs and quickly opened the door, letting herself explode in. What was it with her mother's eyes that made it seem as though she could see right through her lies? See what was really going on? She clasped her hand over her mouth to stop a squeak from leaving when the door behind her slammed shut. She turned around to see Kero leaning against the door, quite amused with himself for scaring the girl.

"Mom was just trying to ask me about my day, that's all." She quickly lied.

Kero flew over to her, drool dripping from the corned of his mouth as he rubbed his hands together in a possessive way. Tsukiko frowned in disgust as the small droplets of drool dripped onto her clean floor.

"Is dinner ready then?" Kero asked greedily.

"You just ate my last box of Pocky!" Tsukiko accused, pointing towards the empty of box that laid on her bed. "How can you possibly be hungry!?"

"Is it?" Kero asked again, ignoring her.

Tsukiko rolled her eyes and went back towards the door. "It should be by now, I'll bring you back up some in a bit."

Tsukiko ignored the graveling and praises she was receiving and opened the door slightly. She paused, and swung her bag off her shoulder, extracting the phone from the pocket, then dropping it onto the floor close by. She left the room and took a few paces down the hall, then stopped and listened for her parents. They were talking in hushed voices downstairs, then he father laughed lightly. She smiled, and leaned up against the wall.

Tsukiko flipped open the phone and worked hurriedly to turn it back on. Quickly, trying to work as fast as possible, she pressed the button to send a message. She clicked the appropriate contact under her phonebook and typed fast;

_**Tsukiko: Talked 2 them. Tell u 2morrow.**_

XxXxXxX

"Iwakura-kun!" Tsukiko giggled slightly as he dragged her through the busy hallways.

She hadn't even made it into the school when Akatsuki had found her and Akimi walking. He quickly grabbed onto her hand and began pulling her along with him, weaving through the sea of students. Akimi had quickly lost sight of them while trying to keep up, much to her disappointment.

He continued to hold a tight grip on her, determined not to lose her, and began demanding an explanation about the night before. Thankfully, Kero was left at home. Strangely enough, Kero had stayed at home and when Tsukiko had left in the morning, he was found still asleep in an uncommon position; he was sleeping upright, floating in midair with an intense and unfamiliar force of magic surrounding him, one that Tsukiko had not felt before. Or at least, from him. She had tried to wake him before leaving for school, but failed and gave up after attempting for about half an hour. She didn't care, in all honesty though. Yue and Akatsuki were still at the school, so she felt safe and well protected.

Akatsuki stopped in from of a windowless janitors closet and began playing with the doorhandle until it opened for him. He rushed inside, pulling the girl with him and flicked on the lights. He then playfully crossed his arms and began tapping his foot.

"Nani?" Tsukiko smirked, very well knowing what was wrong with him.

"What happened?" He finally bursted out. "Did we get some answers or not!?"

Tsukiko leaned back against the shelves behind her and sighed, also crossing her arms. "My dad worked for _a_ Li-san, but he doesn't sound like the Li-san we know. He sounded like a nice guy, and he had a family."

"The Li Clan is large though, ne? You told me that. . ." he paused and looked at her thoroughly. "What was his name?"

"My parents don't remember," she admitted while shaking her head slightly. "Syao-something. He used his Japanese name while here," she explained quickly then continued. "But, I'm sure he's part of the Li Clan. Li Corp is a huge company they own, I looked it up."

Akatsuki nodded, but didn't waste any time to continue. "So this Syao-something person. . .did your parents do anything to get on his bad side? Like a debt?"

"Iie!" Tsukiko told him. "I asked that, and my parents said he was a kind and respective man who never expected anything back. They said they never borrowed anything from him."

Akatsuki ran his fingers through his hair roughly. "So, we didn't find out anything. Another dead end, huh?" He gave a small, unemotional laugh. "So much for that."

A small intake of breath was heard not too far from him, causing the boys soft emerald eyes to look over at the girl across from him. His eyes softened even more as he watched a small but perfect tear form and roll down her cheek, whether she realized it or not. Tsukiko's eyes drifted down towards the ground, concealing her face from the boy.

"Hey," Akatsuki said softly, taking the few steps necessary to be close to her. "Hey. . .why are you crying?"

Tsukiko shook her head slightly, "I-I'm not. . ." she lifted her head slightly just as another tear rolled down the same cheek.

"Yes you are," he said softly. "What's wrong? Why are you upset?"

Tsukiko dropped her gaze again noticing that tears really were rolling down her face. The tear that had most recently been traveling down her cheek detoured and dripped off the tip of her nose and onto the cold, cement floor to the closet. Even her voice was small as she spoke, "We didn't find out anything. W-we're just as confused and lost as we were before. Li-san seems. . .seems to know so much about us, but we know nothing. Nothing. . ." she more so repeated to herself.

A gentle hand rested on the cheek her tears had decided to run down, carefully cradling it like a precious jewel. The thumb belonging to the hand began to gently caress the skin underneath it, then gracefully rubbed a new tear away, stopping it from its continued path down her cheek. The boy's soothing eyes looked down at her as a delicate matching smile spread across his lips.

"Don't cry," Akatsuki pleaded, using his thumb to keep soothing her cheek. "It'll be okay. We'll be okay. . .I promise."

Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself when she heard the distinctive sound of someone joggling the doorhandle, trying to open it. They held their breath as the door swung open, and the light from the outside added to the dull closets light.

"Finally! I found you guys! Come on, we're going to be late! How come you left m. . ." Akimi trailed off and looked from Tsukiko to Akatsuki. Her gaze landed on the boys hand resting comfortably on her friends face.

She stiffened, trying to conceal her true emotions. "Gomen, I'm interrupting, aren't I?" She quickly closed the door and left without a second thought.

Tsukiko had never seen Akimi look that way before; fallen and disappointed. Pulling away from Akatsuki's reassuring touch, she swung the door open and began to run after the girl.

"Akimi-chan!" Tsukiko wove around the sea of students. "Akimi-chan! Matte!"

She caught up to the upset girl and pulled her out of the crowded hallway, and into the close by girl's bathroom for some more privacy.

"What's the matter?" Tsukiko asked softly.

Akimi began shuffling her feet nervously and looked down at her feet, trying to hide her brightening blush. It didn't quiet work, as she soon realized. She took a small breath, "How do you think of Iwakura-kun?" She asked in a low voice.

Tsukiko was taken back, but quickly smiled. "Iwakura-kun is a very nice guy, and a good friend."

"Only friend?" Akimi found herself asking hopefully.

Tsukiko nodded, "Just friends. What you saw back there was only friendship. Iwakura-kun was only trying to comfort me, that's all."

Tsukiko continued to smile even though something very wrong was stabbing her mind. She had said it, just friends. But what was that feeling she felt? It was so confusing. She leaned forward and took Akimi's hands into her own; Akimi's hands were sweating nervously. The girl looked up, surprised by the knowledgeable glance over she was receiving from Tsukiko.

"Iwakura-kun is the boy you like, ne?" Tsukiko asked quietly.

Akimi's face burned as she slowly nodded. "U-un. . .I've liked him for a bit now."

Tsukiko nodded understandingly, "Then please understand; him and I are just friends."

"O-okay. . ." Akimi felt ashamed for jumping to conclusions. She hugged her best friend tight and whispered a thanks into her ear. "I'll ask him out, soon."

As Akimi said those words, Tsukiko couldn't help but feel an unfamiliar pang in her chest. She didn't understand the feeling nor could she make any sense of it. Jealously? Protectiveness? No, the pang didn't feel like that. But still, it hurt. And it would only continue to hurt.

XxXxXxX

**A/N— haha...this almost didn't get done for this weekend. But, here it is!! TA-DAA! I know this chapter wasn't so eventful as the previous ones, because, and I'll admit it, this is really just a filler ; )** **The next chapter will be MUCH better, I promise. **

**But, I may have to start making this a biweekly FF. It's crunch time at school right now, and I'm getting piles upon piles of homework they're forcing on us before exams. I'll see how next week goes, and go from there. I hope that no one will be upset if I do decide to go this way. **

— **Rai**


	10. Chapter 9: Hurts of the Truth

_**A/N (PLEASE READ!!)— Okay, I know you guys are getting sick of reading the same dream she's having over and over, but please read right through it every time! I add important clues to it each time, so please read right through it even if it seems to be the same. Thank you!**_

_**Chapter nine: Hurts of the Truth**_

"I'll ask him out tomorrow," Akimi said, gently pulling away from Tsukiko and her embrace.

"Itsu?" Tsukiko asked with a raised eyebrow.

Akimi smiled sheepishly, "Maybe tonight, after school. That gives him tonight and tomorrow to give me an answer, ne? He can come and tell me his answer Monday."

Tsukiko smiled and nodded, trying to push the odd pang she was feeling over this. _Get a grip!_ She yelled at herself. _Friends! You like him as a friend!_

XxXxXxX

The amber eyed girl sighed heavily as she peered out of her bedroom window. It was still fairly early in the morning, just about the time she usually ate breakfast on a Sunday. She sat on her bed atop the blankets in soft pink and green cotton pajamas, peering out the window beside her. The sky was a depressingly grey colour filled with thick heavy clouds. A cold rain was pouring down diagonally like there was no tomorrow, as if it was never wanting to end.

Kero flew up beside her. He was still angry at her for leaving the previous morning without him. When he had woken up, near noon, and had realized her absence, he had presumed the worse and flew at top speeds towards the school in a panic. But when he had gotten to his destination, and began flying around not caring if anyone saw him, he was enraged to find that the girl was perfectly fine. In fact, she was sitting under a tree, laughing happily with her friends. Kero had given her a serious scolding, ignoring her questions about why he was asleep or what was the magic she'd felt.

He hadn't wanted to tell her what had happened. No, it was more so he wouldn't tell her, due to his promise. While he was asleep, his Mistress, who was, after years of practicing magic, now a dreamseer, came to Kero in his dream the prior night. How he missed talking to her, as they talked for hours it felt like. But then, of course, he had to tell her about the two meeting and everything else; like them finding certain things out and his suspicions about them trying to look into things. This caused her to frown, and he couldn't stop her sorrowful words from repeating through his mind;

"_So it is happening. . .and we couldn't stop it. . ."_

"What's the matter now?" Kero asked, trying to calm down his frustration with her.

"It's raining," Tsukiko replied. She usually loved the rain, and when she was little she'd run outside and play in it, ignoring her mothers pleas for her to put on a coat. And oddly enough, she rarely got sick from doing such things. But today, the rain just made her feel depressed. It was cold, and dark. . .

She lifted herself out of bed to get ready for the day. Her bare feet cringed when they felt the icy wooden floor beneath them. Tsukiko stumbled over to her dresser and quickly pulled out some warm clothes; an olive green track pants and sweater set with a nice, nurtural brown t-shirt to go underneath the zip-up sweater. Lastly, she threw her mid-back length brown hair into a basic pony-tail and slipped on a fuzzy pair of soft pink slippers.

"I'll bring you up something to eat in a bit," Tsukiko smiled towards Kero, who was sitting on her bed, and then couldn't help but give a small sniffle.

Kero cocked his head to the side in a confused manner, "Are you feeling alright, Kid?"

Tsukiko nodded and grabbed a tissue from her close by desk and blew her nose. "Just a cold. Nothing big."

She opened the door, stumbling down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her mother, who was doing undone dishes from the previous night, was also dressed comfortably.

"Ohayou, Tsuki-san." The woman smiled brightly.

"Ohayou, okaa-san." Tsukiko returned the smile.

The woman frowned slightly as she dried her hands off with a close by tea towel. "You feeling alright, sweetie? You have a bit of colour in your face."

"Don't worry, I'm just coming down with a small cold," Tsukiko replied as she walked over to a cupboard and grabbed her favorite brand of cereal from it. She also got a spoon, a bowl and the carton of milk, then walked over to the kitchen table and set them all down. After pouring the milk into the cereal bowl, she got herself a banana and sliced it into the cereal.

Once she was actually sitting at the table, she turned back to her mother and smiled warmly. "Do you have any plans for today then?"

"Well, since your father is off today, I thought we could clean the house thoroughly, since it isn't a very nice day to go out and wander around town. And I was hoping you could help us, once he wakes up of course."

"Sure!" The girl smiled and continued to eat. Not long after she was done breakfast, her father woke up and the cleaning began. No one brought up the events from the other night and Tsukiko's odd questions. Today, it was the Nanami family, cleaning the house all together and finding ways to have fun along the way.

XxXxXxX

"Done," the woman sighed heavily as she leaned a mop against the wall and watched her husband close a box full of old junk. The man quickly scribbled the date and the word 'junk' on the top of the box.

A girl ran down the stairs, pulling a large black garbage bag along with her. She smiled at her two parents and used the back of her gloved hand to push back the few strains of hair that had swept in front of her eyes. She tugged the bright pink gloves off her hands and stuffed them into the bag, and then tied off the bag with a final pat.

"The upstairs is done," Tsukiko reported happily. "The floors just need to be mopped."

The woman smiled over at the girl and nodded, "We're all done down here too. Go wash your hands and we'll get dinner ready before we continue, ne?"

Tsukiko nodded and left the garbage bag by the two others before she turned around and began heading back towards the stairs. She had her foot on the first step to go wash her hands when her father's voice stopped her in her tracks

"Tsuki-san, if you're going upstairs do you mind taking this box up to the attic?" He lifted the box and walked over to Tsukiko, who was still on the first step. He handed her the box, smiled and thanked her before turning back to help his wife in the kitchen.

Tsukiko took the box and smiled, hiding her confusion. In all her life, she couldn't remember being allowed to go up to their attic. She remembered once, when she was about six years old, and she had tried to follow her mother up into the mysterious room but when she got onto the ladder, her mother quickly reappeared and shooed her away. Her mother had told her there was no reason why she had to go up there, and laughed it off by adding that there were huge bugs up there. Of course, even at that young of an age, Tsukiko had suspected there was another reason but she didn't argue nor did she ever try and go back up.

Once upstairs, she gently tugged on a small rope that appeared to be attached to the ceiling. With one tug, a ladder came crashing down causing Tsukiko to jump back so it wouldn't hit her. She juggled the box onto her hip so she could hold it with one hand and used the other hand to help her climb the ladder. For some reason, when she took her first step a shiver ran down her spine. _Don't go up there! _A voice screamed at her. _Don't! Stop! STOP!_

She had to squint and allow her eyes to adjust to the pitch darkness of the room. She looked around for a light of any sort, and gave a small groan when she realized there wasn't one anywhere to be found. Looking around, all you could see was clutter. Stacks of boxes and old furniture was scattered all over the place, making it difficult to move around and look for an empty spot for the box in Tsukiko's arms.

She sighed and held the box tighter and began looking for any spot where she could drop the box, tripping over almost everything while she walked around. Finally, she gave a pleased smile when she came across a small piece of empty floor between a green storage box and an old bureau.

She literally dropped the box, coughing as the dust from the floor raised and made a small cloud that surrounded her. She closed her eyes and waved her one hand to try and clear the air. When she opened her eyes again, once the dust calmed down, she found herself looking down at the green box resting beside the one she had just brought up. There was no writing on the top of the plastic lid, making Tsukiko tilt her head curiously. Her parents were very organized, and wrote labels on everything. She kneeled down and reached her hands out to open the lid.

_Don't! _A voice warned her as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. _You have no right! It doesn't belong to you! Don't!_

Tsukiko ignored the screaming voice and opened the lid anyways. She smiled happily at its contents and began rooting through it. The box was filled with old baby things that once belonged to her; receiving blankets, old clothes, toys. . .

And a soft pink scrapbook labeled 'Tsukiko's first year'.

Tsukiko smiled, ignoring the warning not to look any further, and gently lifted the book out from the safety of the box and set it on her lap. She opened its cover to the fist page and grinned. A baby, maybe four or five months old, in three pictures with her parents laid out on the page. They seemed to be at a kiddie pool, as the baby was dressed in a pink and yellow frilly one-piece bathing suit. The baby wore a matching hat as she smiled a toothless grin at the camera in each picture. The baby, Tsukiko noticed, had large amber eyes glistening with mischief and somewhat curly brown hair that poked itself out in tufts from under the hat.

She turned the page and found herself looking at the same baby, same age, sitting in a highchair with little bits of food sticking all over her face. She smiled her toothless grin again, looking very pleased with herself. A caption was under it, reading 'Tsukikos first bowl of rice—what a mess!'

Tsukiko chuckled slightly and turned the page again. This time, the baby was a bit older; maybe six months old. She was sitting in a baby swing in a park, the caption reading 'Day at Penguin Park'.

Slowly, the girl's smile sank. She frowned as she continued to flip through the plastic covered pages, and frowned even more the further and further she looked in the book. In all the photo's, the infant was at least four months, up to twelve months. There was none from before then. . .

Thoughts swirled in Tsukiko's mind as she slammed the book close and dove back into the storage container, looking for any other photos of the happy baby. There were none. A cold sweat broke out over her body for no reason and her body began to tremble. Her fingers dug into the books cardboard cover.

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute,?" A woman's gentle voice cooed. Her arms reached out and lifted something, a baby, cradling it in her arms. You could see her entire face for the first time. She had brilliant, gleaming emerald eyes and beautiful honey-brown coloured hair that cupped her face gracefully. _

"_She's beautiful," a man's deep and husky voice spoke. "Just like you."_

_The woman seemed to ignore this and kept cooing at the baby wrapped in soft pink blankets in her arms. "She has your eyes."_

_The man smiled; like the woman, you could see his face clearly. He had deep, intense amber eyes and messy chocolate coloured hair. As he looked at the woman and baby, his face grew soft and gentle. His lips moved as he spoke. "Yes, but everything else is you."_

"_Not true," the woman continued softly. Whether she was focusing her attention to the man or the baby more was unknown. "Both have your unruly chestnut hair. . ."_

Tsukiko was walking down the stairs in almost a trance. She clutched the photo book in her hands tightly, leaving small indents from her fingers in the cover. So many questions swirled in her mind as she approached the two people in the kitchen happily preparing dinner together.

The mysterious beautiful woman's voice floated back into her mind without permission. The young infants childish giggles and the woman's joyous laughter taunted her ears.

"_There we go, my beautiful Tsukiko. . ."_

"Tsuki-san, sweetie? Is everything alright?" Her mother's concerned voice snapped Tsukiko back into reality.

Tsukiko's eyebrows hitched together confusingly as she gripped the book tighter and held it out towards the woman. "I. . .I found this while I was upstairs."

The woman continued to smile as she took the book from the girl, but her smile quickly fell. Her face turned ghostly pale as she read the lacy pink letters on the cover. She opened the book to the first page, her whole body shaking violently.

"A-anata," her voice cracked as she called out to her husband.

Her husband, who was stirring a pot on the stove, looked over his shoulder at the two. He turned down the heat of the burner before walking over beside his wife. His hazel eyes dropped down at the open book in the woman's hands. Hesitantly, he took the book and frowned, quickly paling as well.

"Where did you say you found this?" He asked seriously.

Tsukiko knew that she should have felt horrible for being so nosey and guilty for going through something she knew didn't belong to her, but she wasn't. She didn't feel sorry at all, and ignored his question all together. "What is it?"

"It's. . .it's a photo album," her father tried to smile but quickly failed once seeing the doubtful look lurking in the girls intense amber eyes.

"How come I'm so old in all these pictures?" She asked with almost no emotion in her voice. "Where's the pictures from when I was born?"

"We have them in a different book," the man reassured her.

Tsukiko shook her head slowly, never taking her eyes off the two people in front of her. The doubt grew as she somehow caught the lie. "No, you don't. That book says 'Tsukiko's First Year', meaning my youngest pictures are in there. So why am I older than four months in every photo? Where are my birth pictures?"

The two adults gave a longing gaze at each other, as if asking each other what to do. The man's face read determination while the woman's said she was broken. Finally, the man sighed and closed his eyes, nodding solemnly to his wife.

The woman blinked back the few tears in her eyes and approached her daughter. She kneeled in front of Tsukiko as if she were a small child and took her hands into her own.

"Tsuki-san," she began slowly, holding a firm grip on the girl's hands. "I. . .I can't have children. My body won't let me."

Tsukiko also began to tremble and tried to pull away from the woman's grasp, but couldn't. "Na-nani? What does that mean? I'm not. . .not. . ."

"We love you so much," her mother said softly, reassuring her. "But—"

"But I'm not your daughter," Tsukiko felt on the verge of tears. How dare they keep this from her?

"No," her father said firmly, stepping in and resting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "You _are _our daughter. You're ours."

"I. . .I'm adopted then?" Tsukiko's small voice was scarcely a whisper by now.

The two adults gave another glance at each other, mentally asking each other for the right answer. Finally, the man cleared his throat.

"Iie," he said carefully. "Not exactly. . ."

"We found you," her mother picked up from where he left off. "You—"

"What does that mean!?" Tsukiko cut her off as her voice shook angrily. She had never raised her voice at her parents, but she couldn't help herself. She pulled away from her mothers grasp roughly and balled her fists up at her sides as they shook with rage. "How do you just _find _a baby!?"

"You were on our doorstep one morning," the woman continued to explain gently. "We know we should've taken you to the orphanage, but we couldn't bring ourselves to do that. Finding you was like having all of our prayers answered. All we wanted was a baby. . .and you were perfect. So we claimed you as our own."

"Claimed?" Tsukiko spat furiously.

"No, not like that," the woman said quickly. "You know what I mean. Took you in, raised you as if you were truly ours."

"Which you are, Tsuki-san. You're ours," the man added.

"And you never thought to tell me this? Any of this?" Tsukiko looked accusingly at one parent to the next, ignoring their apologetic faces. "Well!?"

"Would it have made any difference?" The man asked gently. "You're _our _daughter, and we love you so much."

"We were going to tell you," the woman said quickly before Tsukiko could lash her fury out on the man standing behind her. "We were going to wait until you were eighteen though. We thought that you'd take it better if you were older, and be able to understand."

"Does it look like I'm taking it well? DOES IT!?" Tsukiko screamed in a demanding way. Tears of anger and confusion quickly brimmed her eyes and she didn't dare try to hide them. Without waiting for an answer, she stormed out of the kitchen and headed into the entrance hall. The two parents followed quickly behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Tsukiko ignored the concerned man and slipped on the first pair of shoes she saw that belonged to her. She opened the door and ran out into the cold hard rain, forgetting to grab a coat.

"Tsuki-san! Come back!" The woman screamed hysterically. "You'll get sick! Tsuki-san! TSUKI-SAN!"

The man gently rested his hand on his wife's shoulder reassuringly. His eyes looked sad, as if he had been slapped in the face. "Let her go."

"Are you crazy!?" The woman screamed. "It's pouring out! She's going to get sick!"

"Let her go," the man repeated sadly. "That girl needs time to think and sort it out on her own. You know that as well as I do."

He looked sadly out at the open door as his daughter ran down the street in the pouring rain and disappeared from view. Like a ghost from his long forgotten past.

XxXxXxX

The amber eyed girl ran down the street, not caring about the heavy down pour making her completely drenched. The cold rain clashed with the hot tears built from frustration running down the girl's cheeks, making an odd burning sensation grow on her skin. She ignored it, and continued to run.

Tsukiko ran for what seemed like an eternity, letting the bone chilling rain wash over her and hide her endless stream of tears. Finally, she slowed down to a walk, but didn't stop. Her breath was harsh and raspy as she tried desperately to bring fresh oxygen into her lungs. Her eyesight was still blurred with tears but she had calmed down enough to somewhat see her surroundings. Apparently, she hadn't run as much as she thought because when she looked around she realized she was right beside Penguin Park. Without thinking twice about it, she walked over into the park and towards the outskirts of the tiny forest behind it. She glanced around, ignoring the ghostly presences she felt all around, and leaned her back against a tree trunk then slid down it so she was sitting down.

Tsukiko ignored the feeling of her clothes soaking up the thick mud beneath her as well as the large droplets originating from the above tree's leaves falling atop of her and pulled her knees up to her chest to cradle herself. She crossed her arms on top of her knees and buried her head into the comfort of her arms. The tears became larger and ran down her face much more rapidly than before. No matter how hard she tried, the tears refused to stop flowing.

It wasn't even the fact that she was angry for being adopted, or not really their child or whatever you wanted to call it. After all, Tsukiko was the one who had said nothing was wrong with being adopted so long as you had at least one person in the world that loves you. It was more so she was angry at the fact her parents hadn't told her, and weren't going to until she was a few years older. Didn't she have the right to know?

These thoughts and more swirled in her mind mixed with anger and confusion; mostly confusion. Everything was changing too quickly, too frequently. And yet, it explained so much. Tsukiko looked nothing like her parents, with her deep brown eyes and matching hair. Nor did she act like them, even when they were her age which her grandparents would point out at times. Maybe they didn't know she was adopted either? While her mother was quiet and kept more to herself and her father was polite and fairly proper, Tsukiko was always curious and stubborn; headstrong, her grandmother had once summed her up with, along with being free-spirted.

Suddenly the heavy raindrops falling from the tree onto the girl stopped, and the distinct sound of the drops falling onto a tight material above her filled her ears instead. She felt the warm gaze of someone close by. Tsukiko took a chance to cast her red and swollen eyes to be met with large, concerned jade ovals. The face was blurry and for some reason no name could come into her mind.

"What are you doing out here?" The jade-eyed boy asked with concern. "You're going to get sick!"

"How did. . ?"

Akatsuki looked away and clutched the umbrella's handle in his hand tighter. "I don't know. . .I felt your aura while I was coming home from the store," he hinted down at the bag in his hand with the umbrella, "so I followed it here."

The boy crouched down in front of Tsukiko when he realized her tears. He kept the umbrella's protection from the harsh rain over them both as he spoke softer, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Iwakura-kun," Tsukiko spoke softly. The name belonging to the face in front of her finally came to mind. "It's. . .it's not bad being adopted, ne? I mean. . .you still have parents who love you, ne?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just like you. . ." she said quietly, her eyes clouding over. She dug her face back into her arms and repeated it to herself in a mumble.

Akatsuki looked around cautiously at the forest behind her. He could feel and see the hundreds of spirts that haunted these woods, and almost all of them were glancing over at the odd pair. Most were genuinely concerned, but others such as murderers and rapists were not looking at them so. They were looking at them for different reasons, their own reasons. His green eyes narrowed on one well dressed man in particular who looked at the girl with lust filled eyes. The man, Akatsuki could somehow feel, was a dead rapist that killed many of his victims in the Penguin Park's woods and was probably bound to these woods in particular because of that very reason. It was these types of ghosts that worried Akatsuki the most, even though he knew they were dead and could do no harm.

He turned back to Tsukiko, "Come on, you have to go home. You're going to get yourself sick."

"Iie!" Tsukiko suddenly jumped up and backed away from him, pressing herself against a close by tree that was a bit farther into the woods than before. "I can't go back. Not right now. . . please."

Akatsuki opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. Her eyes were pleading with him, begging him not to make her. His eyes shifted over towards the male spirit he had been watching before; he had taken a few steps closer to them, to Tsukiko, since the last time he saw him. It was probably her magical capabilities that were pulling him so close to her.

Akatsuki sighed and stood up, walking towards the trembling girl. He made sure the umbrella was back over her and spoke softly again, "Well you can't stay out here. My place is just across the street. We can go there until you feel better. And then, if you feel up to it, you can tell me what you're running from."

Tsukiko hesitated as he held out his hand to her, but took it and held it tightly. Her fingers were numb and feeling was coming back to her as she pressed her fingers into the warmth of Akatsuki's hand. She squeezed it, hoping to warm her hand even more. He must have noticed this because he squeezed back onto her hand as well, and didn't loosen the grip.

Akatsuki led her to his apartment, which was literally across the street from the park. He let go of the girl's hand momentarily to unlock the door and gently pulled her inside with him. He set the bag of groceries down on the floor and closed the umbrella, placing it neatly into the vase beside the door.

"Now," he turned to Tsukiko and spoke gently to her, "What's all this about you being like me? Why are you so upset?"

Chocolate bangs swept across her clouded eyes, covering half of her face as she grazed her eyes onto the floor under her. "I'm. . .like you. No one wanted me. My parents abandoned me. . ."

"Nan. . ?"

"Mother and Father aren't my parents. My parents. . .they didn't want me."

Akatsuki watched as her body began to shake as more tears were shed. He couldn't help but clench his fist and grit his teeth. He unraveled his hands and shot them forwards towards Tsukiko, and firmly grasped her by the shoulders then gave her a small shake. The girl's eyes darted up, tears still rimming her eyes as she looked into his flame lit eyes.

"Iie," he said firmly. "You're wrong. We're nothing alike!"

"Demo—"

"You have two parents who love you! Two parents who accepted you into their home and lives; their family! You are their daughter, and they love you Nanami-san. That's the only way they look at you, is as their daughter. Nothing less. So don't. . .we're nothing alike."

"Demo. . .you have. . .your parents. . ."

Akatsuki looked away from her and let his arms swing back to his side, clenching his shaking fists once again. He could feel his whole body shaking and burning with rage. "My parents," he spat, "do you even see my parents here?"

Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it. She gave a look around; they were the only two people in the large apartment. And now that she actually gave it thought, no one had greeted them when they walked in. She turned back to Akatsuki who was still not looking at her.

"Those two probably want me less than my actual parents wanted me. The only reason why they adopted me was for political reasons; all their friends had kids, so why not them too?"

"Iwakura-kun, I'm sure that's—"

"Just hear me out, okay?" He shifted his eyes back to the girl only to see her nod in reply, then led his gaze back to the ground. "When you turn thirteen in an orphanage, they say you become hopeless, that you won't get adopted. No one want's to put up with a problem teenager. But those two adopted me when I was in my thirteenth year," he scoffed for a second then continued bitterly. "My mother didn't want to go through childbirth or a screaming baby, and my father didn't actually want to raise a child. Both are major workaholic's, so they were never home and wanted a kid that could take care of themselves. Since I was the oldest in the orphanage, they choose me."

He looked up to Tsukiko's sad eyes and tried to force a small comforting smile. He took both of her hands into his and gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. She was still shaking greatly, and it was then he realized she needed to change since she was still in soaking wet clothes, but he had to finish explaining all this to her first.

"So you see," he said gently, "we are nothing alike in that aspect. You have two parents who adore you, and the only way they look at you is as their daughter. Not some unwanted child, but their daughter. You're not unwanted at all."

His smile faltered as he brought one hand up to her forehead and pressed the back of his hand onto her skin. He frowned slightly, "You have a bit of a fever."

Tsukiko pulled away slightly and forced a small smile as well as she waved her hand lazily through the air. "Don't worry about it, I don't stay sick for long. It was probably just because of the cold I had."

"You went out in the rain with a cold!?" Akatsuki shouted angrily.

"Don't yell. . ." she pleaded with him.

Akatsuki sighed and roughly wove his fingers through his hair. He looked around quickly and spotted a basket in the hall with clean laundry he had washed earlier. He walked over to it and pulled out a pair of clothes and a thick towel, then walked back to Tsukiko. He gently placed the towel around her trembling body and handed her the clothes.

"You can change into these. They belong to my mother, so they may be a bit big but at least it's something dry. You can stay here until you feel like you can go home, but don't hide out for too long. Maybe only tonight. I'm not trying to kick you out, but they'll be worrying about you with this storm and all."

Tsukiko nodded and gratefully took the clothes from him. They felt warm in her palms. "If you don't like them," Tsukiko started boldly. "Why do you call them 'Mother' and 'Father'?"

Akatsuki seemed to ignore her and pointed to the hall behind him where the basket was, "You can change in the bathroom. It's just down that hall, second door to your right."

Tsukiko didn't press on and walked around him, disappearing down the hall and into the bathroom.

Akatsuki looked down at the ground and clenched his teeth together as he remembered the day the Iwakura couple had picked him up.

"_And as long as you stay at my house, you will call us Mother and Father. I don't want my son to be disrespectful by calling us otherwise, understood?"_

"_Hai, Iwa—" _

_SMACK! The young jade eyed boy whimpered when the woman's hand ran across his face sharply. He clutched his cheek, determined not to cry. If one thing the orphanage had taught him, it was never to show his true feelings. The man beside the woman, her husband, did nothing to defend the boy. _

_The boy cleared his throat, "Hai, Mother."_

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko opened the door from the bathroom and poked her head out into the hall. Her hair was still a damp, since she had only towel-dried it which didn't do much good, but the dry clothes had sent a warm tingling sensation throughout her body as soon as she had slipped them on. She wore a midnight blue silk pajama's set, with a long sleeved button down shirt and long matching bottoms that she had to roll up so she wouldn't trip. The shirt was a bit big as well, as she had to find a safety pin in the medicine cabinet to create an extra button so her cleavage didn't show.

Tsukiko walked out into the hall nervously. "Iwakura-kun?" She looked at the four other doors in the hall, waiting for a response.

"Go into the livingroom and make yourself at home," his soft voice called out to her from behind the closed door at the end of the hall. "I'll be out in a minute."

Tsukiko nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her, and found her way into the large livingroom. Once there, she hesitated to actually sit down as everything looked incredibly expensive. The couch was genuine tan leather and the coffee table had a glass top with a crystal candy bowl sitting in the centre. On each side tables on either side of the couch were antique vases and exquisite lamps.

She carefully sat on the edge of the couch, keeping her legs close together nervously and folded her hands into her lap. She looked around at the photos on the walls and realized something that made her frown slightly. Every photo were of people beside Akatsuki. All the photo's, except for one. A family portrait exactly across the room from her above a large television set, of which the amber eyed boy was not smiling.

Tsukiko pushed herself off the comfort of the couch and walked across the room to the portrait. The boy wasn't smiling, neither with his lips or his eyes that she was so use to seeing shine happily. He looked empty, lonely and cold; not the boy she knew now. A shiver ran down her spine; it was just like when she had first met him.

The woman standing behind him had cold grey eyes as her fingers looked as though they were clinging and digging into the boy's shoulders like claws. Her smile was cold and could cut through glass. The man standing beside her wasn't smiling either, but he looked as though he couldn't care less what his wife was doing to the boy in front of them. The young Akatsuki looked hurt and broken, as though he had given up a hopeless battle.

"Not a happy picture, huh?"

Tsukiko jumped when the boy's voice rang through her ears. She hadn't heard him come in. She blushed slightly, feeling as though she was caught doing something she shouldn't have and turned to face him. He was standing by the couch, looking over at her with a small smile. She pushed down the blush, her eyes widening when she gave a good look at him. He was only wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. She couldn't help it, it looked as though she was staring and looking him over but that wasn't it at all. Sure he was well toned, but she wasn't looking at him like that. She was looking at the right side of his lower abdomen, where the material of his pants met skin.

As if in a trance, Tsukiko walked over to him and kneeled before him. Her finger reached up to where the top of his pants were, on the spot she was been staring at, and tugged down at them slightly so that more skin showed.

"H-hey. . .what are you. . ?"

Tsukiko ignored him and continued to stare in awe. There, on his skin, was something like a tattoo that resembled hers, but with an ancient looking sun instead of her crescent moon. It was lightly coloured with orange in the centre and yellow-gold for the rays. It bubbled out a bit, much like hers, and looked as though it had been burned into his skin. She used her other hand to lightly run over it, ignoring the shiver she got in return from him. Her eyes remained glued on the tattoo.

"What are you doing?" Akatsuki asked again nervously.

His words reached her ears this time, and as Tsukiko realized what she was doing her fingers let go of the elastic on his pants and she jumped up. She was beet red and she tried not to meet his eyes. "G-gomen nasai," she said quietly. "Demo. . .that mark you have. Where. . .how did you get it?"

Akatsuki looked down at the mark then back at her. He was hoping the pants would cover all of the odd mark, but apparently it didn't. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and looked back down at her. She had finally looked up at him, her eyed begging for an answer for some reason.

"It's sort of a long story," he admitted. "Why do you want to know?"

Tsukiko blushed a bit, but kept her eyes focused on Akatsuki. "I have a similar mark."

Akatsuki frowned, and ran his hand through his tussle of hair again. "It was the day Li-san found me," he began. "He was trying to convince me he worked with my father and that he was asked to pick me up today. Too bad he didn't know that my father would never do that. Anyways, when I refused he threatened me so I tried to fight him."

"Fight him?" Tsukiko asked in disbelief. "How. . ?"

Akatsuki grinned a bit, "I already knew I was different. I already knew about my powers somewhat, and had already experimented with them. Let's just say in the orphanage you have a lot of free time on your hands to find this sort of stuff out."

"Oh. . ."

"But when he tried a counter attack, it seemed as though something protected me," Akatsuki continued with a glazed look in his eyes. "And when he touched me, I burned him. It was. . .odd. Then when he left, something burned my skin and I got this," he pointed down to the mark. "I may be crazy, but it's the same shape a memento I had that I kept on my keys. I was wearing a sweater, and my keys were in the front pocket. This mark is in the same place that charm was in."

"Charm? What was the memento?" Tsukiko's heart began to race for no apparent reason. How did she already know the answer?

He blushed again slightly, "It. . .it was this charm thing the people of the orphanage found on me, when they found me. It was this sun charm thing with a gold star in the centre, and they figured my actual parents left it with me. So I kept it. . ."

Tsukiko nodded, a small smile wanting to spread across her lips. Even though Akatsuki often spoke as if he despised his real parents, there was a part of him Tsukiko knew of that really wished to somehow keep in touch with them, as any child would want.

She frowned and glanced back down at the mark, "There is no star, though."

"I know," Akatsuki said slowly. "It disappeared when it burned into my skin. Yue-san found me that night, after I told my parents about the strange man I met. He tried to explain it to me but couldn't very well."

"No, Kero-chan couldn't explain it to me either. He tried, but all he could really say was that it was probably my magic's way of trying to protect me."

"What about you?" Akatsuki asked. "When did you. . .how did you get yours?"

Tsukiko blushed and looked away. "Anou. . .same way, b-but it's. . .anou. . .I can't really show you. Because. . .I-I wore it as a necklace. . .and. . ."

Akatsuki caught on and blushed as well. He looked away and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "I'll go make some tea then. . .it'll make you feel better."

"You don't need to, really."

"Don't worry about it, it'll help. Green or regular?"

Tsukiko tried to look back up, but found he was looking away as well. Her blush remained on her face, "Green, please."

He nodded and walked off towards the kitchen. Tsukiko watched him disappear behind a wall to where the kitchen was and sighed, letting her fingers lightly rest on top of her chest, where her own tattoo laid.

None of this was making any sense to her. And it was just getting more and more confusing as each moment passed by her.

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki sat on the couch with his cup of tea with a sigh and beckoned Tsukiko to join him. She hesitated, looking down at her own hot cup of sencha tea and back at the leather couch, but sat down close beside him. She felt his strong arm lazily rest across her shoulders, but didn't pull her closer. Surprisingly enough, she didn't blush at all. She couldn't explain it; it didn't feel unnatural, sort to say, but it didn't feel right either. How was that possible?

Tsukiko began thinking about what Akatsuki had told her before, about not being similar to him because she had parents who loved her. And now that thought about it, she smiled. It was true, those two really were her parents and they always would be, and she would always be their daughter. She wouldn't have it any other way, would she? They may have found her, but she was theirs now. And she was grateful for them finding her and excepting her as no less than their child.

"Iwakura-kun," Tsukiko felt her eyelids becoming heavy. It was late now, and even though it was still storming outside she could at least tell that the sky was grey with night and not just with the rough clouds anymore. "What was it like. . .growing up in an orphanage?"

Akatsuki looked down at her tired body. He hadn't expected that sort of question to escape her lips, but he intended to answer it fully. "It sucked, probably worse than the other kids there. No one wanted to hang around with me and everyone found one way or another to make fun of me. I was considered odd and weird, but no one gave me a chance. It was the same way when I finally got a home and started school in Kyoto, no one wanted anything to do with me. That's why I found my powers so easily. . .because I spent a lot of time alone in my room. By the time I was six, I started to control fire if I held onto that charm. Yue-san explained to me that that charm was suppose to turn into a staff or something, but since it burned into my skin it showed that I was powerful enough not to have to use it. I guess it was the same when I was little, and I just had to hold it."

Tsukiko smiled a bit, and closed her eyes. She didn't want to let sleep overtake her, but she couldn't help it."Do you regret coming to Tomoeda?"

Akatsuki returned the smile and leaned his head down, lightly kissing the top of her head. She smelt of fresh strawberries with a hint of some flower. "Never."

Tsukiko opened her eyes and looked up at him upon feeling his lips on top of her head. He looked down at her with his large green eyes, making her smile. Something was screaming at her, but she couldn't help it. Again, this felt natural and unnatural at the same time.

"You know," she said without thinking about it. She didn't want to do anything she would regret. "Akimi-chan likes you."

Akatsuki kept a straight look, his smile sinking a tad, but he nodded. "I know, she told me last night."

"And. . ?" Tsukiko asked, hoping sincerely for the best. Her friend had never felt love before, and she desperately wanted her to learn about it even with the odd feeling Tsukiko was getting.

"I told I couldn't. . .I don't like her that way."

Tsukiko wanted to say something else, but her eyelids were falling again and sleep was taking over her body. She snuggled back up against him, and felt him take her cup before it dropped. Her lips parted a bit, just enough for her speech to be audible. "She's. . .a nice girl, you know. . ."

"I know," she heard his distant voice say. "But she's not the one I want to go out with. She's a nice girl, but I can only see her as a friend."

Tsukiko didn't hear anything after that, as she let sleep completely take over her body. She slid off into the unknown world of sleep, not feeling the boy lay her gently on the couch and provide her with a large blanket to keep her warm.

The boy slid a hand on top of her forehead, and smiled; her fever was gone. He continued to smile to himself as he turned off the lights and went into his bedroom, letting the soothing sound of the rain pounding on his window to let him, too, into the world of sleep.

XxXxXxX

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute, __**Syaoran**__?" The gentle woman's cooing voice said. Her big green eyes rested on the baby as she picked her up out of the small cradle and into her arms ._

"_She's beautiful," The man, Li Syaoran, said. "Just like you."_

_The woman seemed to ignore this and kept cooing at the baby wrapped in soft pink blankets in her arms. "She has your eyes."_

_The man smiled."Yes, but everything else is you."_

"_Not true," the woman continued softly. She was focusing on her baby more than her husband it was plain to see. "Both have your unruly chestnut hair."_

"_Is awake yet?" The man asked. _

"_Iie, he's still sound asleep." The woman sighed and continued cooing softly to the swaddled baby in her arms. "This one loves sleeping, but not during the day. She's stubborn," she smirked. "Just like her father."_

_Syaoran reached for the baby in the woman's arms, and lightly touched her cheek . His lips turned into an amused smile as the baby smiled back up at him._

"_She's got you wrapped around her little finger already, ne?" The woman smirked. _

_His smile grew as he joined the woman in cooing to the baby. "They both do."_

_Suddenly, the woman was screaming. Everything went black as a terrifying, cold laugh filled the room. The woman continued to scream as there was a thud; something had fallen to the ground._

"_**Syaoran**__!" She screamed the name of her husband as____the horrifying laughter grew____"__**SYAORAN**__!"_

Tsukiko jolted up on the couch, gasping for breath yet again. Cold sweat poured out over her as she reached for her head. It was that screaming again. . .that screaming of the terrified woman. Where had she seen that woman before? She was sure she recognized her. And that laughter. . . why did she know that laughter?

She laid back down, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. She fluffed the cushion behind her and pulled the blanket Akatsuki had laid on her up to her chin, wrapping herself in its warmth, more so for comfort. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, asking sleep to return to her. She was between the worlds of sleeping and waking when a blood curdling scream filled her ears and sent her eyes flying open.

"NO!" The voice screamed. "STOP! NO!"

Tsukiko threw off the covers and stumbled through the dark house, trying to make her way to the scream's owner. She followed it to the end of the hall where Akatsuki's room was, and walked into the room stopping only a few paces in.

Akatsuki was clearly still asleep, but he was thrashing about like he was on fire. Panicked, she ran over to the side of his bed. He was crying; tears ran down his cheeks even though his eyes remained shut tight. He continued to scream out hysterically and thrash around, once almost hitting Tsukiko.

Tsukiko leaned over and grabbed him by the shoulders, hard, and began shaking him like a rag doll to wake him up. She began calling out his name, trying desperately to wake him. He gave one final scream before his eyes flew open and his body jolted upwards. His hands latched onto the girl's upper arms, tears still running down his face. His body shook as his fingers dug into her arm and he looked up at the girls face.

Tsukiko looked down at him with concern, trying to search his face for some sort of answer. "Iwakura-kun?"

He looked around nervously, and roughly let go of the girl. His shaking hands reached for his head and gripped his hair, as he pulled his head down and let the tears flow. "I couldn't stop it again. . .the screaming. . .stop the screaming. Help her, Kami, help her. . ."

Tsukiko looked down at him confused, not knowing what he saw. She opened her mouth to ask, but closed it. Instead, she reached her hand out and touched the top of his head, making him jump slightly. He looked back up at her, his face stained with tears. She ran her hand down along his face and rested it on his cheek, cradling his face. She used her thumb to wipe his tears away, trying to comfort him.

"I couldn't. . .the screaming. . ." he repeated almost inaudible. "The woman. . .she won't stop screaming. And there's. . .there's laughter. . .the babies. . ."

Tsukiko pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around him; he did the same to her. He gripped onto the back of her silk shirt in a white knuckled grasp. His tears stained her shoulder as his body continued to shake while he cried. The girl rubbed the back of his head soothingly, trying to do all she could to clam him down.

"Stop it. . .please, stop all of it. . .save them. . ." he repeated into her shoulder between sobs. "Please. . ."

Tsukiko began rocking him back and forth, whispering soothing words into his ear and continued to run her hands through his hair. After a bit, his body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing as he fell asleep in her embrace.

Tsukiko laid him back down gently and pulled the blankets back up onto him. Tears still clung to his eyelashes, as he mumbled the same pleading words in his sleep. She wouldn't ask him what the dream was about, but it had clearly upset him. She felt the shivers run down her spine as he explained his dream with those few words, but she hadn't linked the shivers to reasons; the screaming woman, the laughter, the babies. . .

She had long forgotten the name she heard earlier that night.

XxXxXxX

**Okay, first of all. . .don't kill me!! Hehe. . . let's just say that these two are REALLY dense XD. They must get it from their parents, ne? I mean, remember how dense Sakura and Syaoran were when they liked each other? It's that gene coming out in them; too dense to realize they're related. **

— **IMPORTANT MESSAGE**** — Gomen nasai. . .I know it's a few days late but I got stuck at some parts for how to lead into certain things. I think I am going to go a different route with this though. Since it's coming to the end of May, I only have a few weeks left of school and they're loading up with work like you would not believe to prepare for exams in June. So I think what I'm going to do is stop putting up a date for when the chapters will be out, and I'll just post them whenever I can until exams are over. Once summer comes, I'll have them come out on a regular basis. **

**Sorry for this, but school comes first no matter how much I love writing.** **Thanks for understanding.**

**And please remember with the next chapters to read all the way through Tsukiko's dreams because I do add things to them. They are the same dream she's seeing, but there's always more to it each time, or something changed in it. Thanks!**

— **Rai**


	11. Chapter 10: Apologies

_**Chapter ten: Apologies**_

"Gomen nasai, okaa-san. I know I shouldn't have run," Tsukiko clutched the phone tight and held it close to her ear as she spoke to her panicked mother. Guilt was finally sinking in for her actions the previous night, but she was trying to keep her voice down for the sake of the sleeping boy in the other room down the hall.

"That's all you can say?" Her mother sounded as though she was on the verge of tears on the other line. Her daughter would never realize how many tears she had shed during the night over worry and fear, or the fact she had stayed up all night in hopes Tsukiko would return home. "Your father and I have been worried sick!"

"I know. . .gomen. I just needed time to myself," Tsukiko said softly. "Gomen nasai."

Her mother sighed heavily and calmed down a bit. "At least you're safe. Where are you, anyways?"

Tsukiko began twisting the phone's cord in her finger's nervously, "J-just a friends. . ."

"Who? Hamamoto-san?" Her mother raised an eyebrow, even though she knew the girl couldn't see her through the other line.

"Anou. . .u-un," Tsukiko lied.

"When will you be home then?" Her mother asked, sounding a little cheesed off.

Tsukiko leaned over a bit to peer out a window off on the far wall. The rain had stopped during the early hours of the morning, but it was still grey with overcast weather. She sighed, and pressed the phone against her ear again.

"In about an hour. I need to get ready for school, but I need a uniform."

"Couldn't you use one of Hamamoto-san's?" The woman asked curiously.

"You know how tiny Akimi-chan is," Tsukiko lied again. "I'd never be able to fit into her clothes! I'll eat breakfast, then come home, ne?"

"Just. . .Just come home," the woman spoke softly, also clutching the phone close to her.

Tsukiko smiled and nodded, even though she knew her mother couldn't see her. "I will. Anou. . . okaa-san. . ."

"Hai?"

". . .I love you."

"I love you too, Tsuki-san," the mother smiled gently as well. "I'll see you soon."

Tsukiko nodded and hung up the phone, sighing heavily to herself. She ran her fingers through her tangled morning hair as she heard the small click of a door being softly opened and then closed. She watched as Akatsuki stumbled into the living room, while her hand still resting on top of the phone.

Upon seeing her, he blushed slightly and looked away. Akatsuki scratched the back of his head nervously as the girl smiled at him. He apologized quietly, "G-gomen. . .for last night. . ."

"You have no reason to be," Tsukiko replied honestly.

"It's just. . .I can't explain that dream, demo. . ."

"You see it frequently then?" Tsukiko asked, receiving a shocked look from the boy. "I don't expect you to tell me about it, and I'm not going to force you to. Demo, the way you acted last night. . .it was as if you'd seen it before."

He slowly nodded, "I. . .I see it every night. It was peaceful at first, but every since Li-san came, it's turned violent. This woman. . .there's a woman, screaming. I couldn't help her. . ."

"Does Yue-san know? It may be prophetical." Tsukiko asked seriously.

". . .iie, he doesn't. And. . .I don't think it has to do with the future. But more so the past. I. . .I know that woman's voice. I know her. . ."

Tsukiko nodded understandingly as the boy became lost in thought. Until then, she had forgotten about her own odd dreams, and she couldn't help but feel as though she was forgetting something vital. Something important to her. But she completely understood where Akatsuki was coming from; the two she constantly saw in her dreams seemed familiar to her as well.

Tsukiko couldn't bare the silence any longer and broke it, "I'll go make some breakfast then, ne?"

"I can make it," Akatsuki quickly offered. "You're the guest. Go shower or something."

Tsukiko shook her head and approached him, "I'm grateful for everything you did. Please, just let me make you something to eat."

Reluctantly, Akatsuki nodded and left to go shower while Tsukiko familiarized herself with the kitchen. The kitchen was huge and most of the appliances were high tech and in their stainless steel form. The kitchen opened up to a large eating area with a long wooden table able to seat eight people. A vase with a fresh bouquet, complete with pure white carnations, ferns and babies'- breath, sat in the centre of the table along with a small bowl of fake fruit. Tsukiko frowned; everything was picture perfect alright, but it was all _fake_ in her eyes.

XxXxXxX

"Where the hell were you, Kid!?" Kero asked enraged. Not even two seconds after Tsukiko had walked into her room, the small winged toy had flown up into her face and began bombarding her uncontrollably.

Tsukiko closed the bedroom door behind her and quickly threw off her clothes, not caring that her shirt had landed on Kero's floating image and his loud ranting at her. She hurried over to her closet and grabbed the first set of a clean school uniform she saw, and began almost violently tugging it on in a panic.

"Gomen, Kero-chan," Her voice muffled as she pulled her shirt over her head. "I just needed to think some things over."

Kero nodded and looked away, landing on Tsukiko's dresser in front of her mirror and kept his eyes off her. "I was worried about you, that's all. I heard you yelling downstairs, but I knew better than to fly down to see. Then the door slammed and you were running down the street. I had troubles opening your window and I lost you. I thought. . .maybe Li got to you."

Tsukiko finished buttoning her shirt up and tugged on her blazer as she looked unemotionally at the small figure standing on her dresser in front of her. She let her bangs gracefully fall front of her eyes as a small shadow encased the upper half of her face. Something had stabbed her.

"You knew, didn't you Kero-chan?" She asked quietly. "That I'm not their daughter."

"Na-nani!?" Kero stumbled over her voice.

"You knew," she restated, looking up at him and making the light shadow disappear. "You didn't ask _why _I ran, which can only mean you already knew. . .ne?"

Tsukiko watched as Kero tossed around the idea of telling her the truth, but instead settled on something else. He would later regret it; the girl was actually very good at figuring things out one way or another.

"Where did you go?" Kero asked, not agreeing to her statement nor denying it.

Tsukiko recognized Kero's defense in changing the subject, but didn't let it show. She already had her own suspicions, and he was only making them seem true. "Iwakura-kun found me and brought me to his place."

Kero flew off the dresser in a panic and flew up into the girl's face again. "Na-nani!? The Kids place!? You can't be serious! Why?"

"I had no where to go," Tsukiko answered honestly as she turned to peer over at her alarm clock for the time. She gave a small gasp upon seeing the time and ran over to her desk to grab the bag leaning up against the chair and then ran back for the door. She pried the door open and paused to look back at Kero.

"Meet me outside this morning, Kero-chan. Mom wants to talk to me before we go, so just leave through the window and meet me by that tree in the front, got it?"

"Okay, Kid. I'll see you out there," Kero forced a small smile, thinking he got the better of the conversation. Oh man, was he wrong.

Tsukiko closed the door behind her, but then slowly opened it only moments later and peeked her head through the gap. She looked straight at Kero with an almost blank face, "Kero-chan. . .I know you knew about me, because I believe you knew my parents. . ."

With that, she closed the door behind her again and left, leaving a very stunned Kero floating in the air. She couldn't explain how she knew, it just seemed to fit with this crazed up puzzle in her life. It was just another suspicion she had, that she was somehow sure it was correct.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko got to school fairly early that morning, thanks to her father coming home from work to drive her. That was a challenge, to get Kero into her bag without her father seeing. Something she never wanted to experience again. She met up with Akimi before class began, and both agreed on walking around on the outside ground before the bell rang.

"It's turning out to be a nice day, ne?" Tsukiko asked happily. True, it was still partly overcast, but the sun was starting to break through the grey clouds and a nice warm breeze was blowing their way. The wind would pick up a leaf once in a while and let it dance in the air for a bit before settling on the ground again.

Akimi seemed to somewhat ignore this remark and looked over at Tsukiko with a very serious gaze, "Tsukiko-chan, what happened last night?"

Tsukiko felt her blood freeze as she returned the equally serious gaze. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother phoned my place last night. She said that something happened and you ran out, so she was wondering if you were with me. I covered for you, of course, and said you were but was asleep so you don't have to worry. Demo. . .demo, I think I have the right to know what's going on. Not with just last night, but everything these days. And you can't say there's nothing going on; I've known you long and well enough to know that's not true."

Tsukiko slowly nodded, "I. . .you really do deserve an answer, Akimi-chan. Demo, please. . .just a bit more. I don't even understand it right now, so how do I explain it to you?"

Akimi pouted slightly, trying to hide her anger of the whole situation, her big eyes begging for a whole answer. She wanted her friend back, the one she used to know better than anyone else. What was going on that changed them so much? She was desperate to know.

"You at least owe me _some _sort of explanation," Akimi said quietly.

Tsukiko smiled and took Akimi's hands into her own, trying to get all her emotions through to her with the simple gesture. "Please, Akimi-chan. . .not right now. Let me just sort it out for myself first and I promise, I'll tell you. Demo, please, just understand that for now. I will tell you, I promise I will, demo. . .I'm even confused about it. Please. . .I promise."

Akimi sighed and squeezed Tsukiko's hands back, trying to tell her she understood although she really didn't all that much and forced a small smile. "Okay, but I'm keeping you to your word this time."

Tsukiko smiled and pulled her into a friendly hug, whispering her thanks and promising to keep her word. Akimi only chuckled, hugging the same friendly way back and telling her she'd keep her up to that very promise. When they pulled away, Akimi sighed and crossed her arms playfully, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Okay, so I guess I can understand and wait for _that_ answer," Akimi smirked. "But if you weren't at my place, then where were you exactly?"

"I. . .gomen," Tsukiko apologized again, hanging her head low in shame. "I heard. . .about Iwakura-kun's answer to you."

Akimi forced a small smile, trying to mask her pain. "You were at his place then?"

"He found me," Tsukiko tried to explain. "Gomen nasai."

Akimi let out a small, heartless chuckle. "He's just a guy, Tsukiko-chan. Like I said before; I don't need one to make me happy and complete my life. No one does."

"Demo, I know you wanted to experience how it felt to be loved," Tsukiko finished Akimi's unspoken thought. "And you completely deserve to know. Gomen nasai. . ."

"He seems to like you, anyways," Akimi said with a smile, her tone back to being happy. "You should try to ask him out."

Tsukiko's thoughts stopped, and feelings from the previous night flooded back into her body uncontrollably. That natural but unnatural feeling, both being felt at the same time ran throughout her tiny body. How could she explain such a feeling when she didn't understand it at all herself? She liked him, sure, but how? She was so confused.

"Tabun," Tsukiko finally settled on. "Demo, you'll walk with us home still, ne? Like tonight?"

"'Us'?"

"We. . .Iwakura-kun and I. . .have some things to do after school, so we decided to walk home together," Tsukiko partly lied. Really, Kero and Yue had demanded another training sessions with both kids.

"Oh," Again, Akimi smiled to hide behind her pain. "I would, demo, my mother wants me to take piano again this year and lessons start tonight so she'll be picking me up tonight. I will tomorrow though, I promise."

Tsukiko smiled with a nod and quickly hugged her friend again before the bell rang and the two were forced to go inside to class. What Tsukiko missed was Akimi's fallen smile and hurt face when they met up with Akatsuki, as he greeted Tsukiko with a huge smile and a large sparkling glint in his eyes.

XxXxXxX

Two figures gracefully glide between the close trees, giggling quickly to themselves and shushing each other frequently. The one pushed his finger against his lips to quiet the other's giggles as he looked around quickly. He listened for a moment and had to suppress the urge to laugh himself as he motioned towards the large oak tree that stood before them. The girl nodded towards him in acknowledgment and grabbed the closest branch to heave herself up. She climbed through the tree until she was about two thirds of the way up before settling on a fairly large and sturdy branch. The boy behind her followed and took a seat beside her.

"They're going to kill us, you know." The girl, Tsukiko, finally said after having to swallow her laughter.

Akatsuki nodded, a huge smirk on his face. "Un, I know. But I'm so sick of their bickering, aren't you?"

Tsukiko frowned and began swinging her legs back and forth lazily. "Un, demo. . .I fear it may be because of me they're fighting, because of last night and all—"

"Shh!" Akatsuki put a hand over her mouth and pointed towards an entrance into the forest, then slowly removed his hand.

Tsukiko looked to see their two guardians, looking quite angry indeed, making their way into the full forest surrounding the two teens.

"Great," She heard Kero groan loudly with a hint of being annoyed. "If they're here, we're never going to be able to find them."

"You are avoiding the problem, Keroberus," Yue hissed coldly.

Kero ignored him, "I mean, this forest is already full of unexplainable powers, and I can definitely feel their magic but it's mixed with the others. It feels as if they're in the entire forst right now!"

"Keroberus, I mean it—"

"I bet it's the damned spirits faults. I bet their energy is affecting my feel for actual magic!"

"Keroberus," Yue rose his voice slightly. "Honestly, this is serious. If they really are figuring this all out, then we are in serious trouble."

"Relax, Yue," Kero finally said acknowledging him with a grunt, then chuckled slightly. "Both are too naïve to make sense of it. They must get it from the other two."

"I don't think they're as naïve as you believe they are. And I don't want to make our Mistress upset by them figuring it all out, or her husband for that matter. They trusted us with this."

Kero scoffed, "Honestly, Yue, I don't really care if he gets upset. That kid can really get on my nerves."

"Syaoran really isn't as bad as you make him out to be," Yue defended dully. "And if he becomes upset, then it upsets her as well, as I am sure you understand."

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute, __**Syaoran**__?" _

Tsukiko felt her heart stop; Syaoran.

A hand rested on her shaking shoulder, making her jump slightly. She turned to see Akatsuki's deep emerald eyes looking at her with concern. Tsukiko's eyes had shown her startle, and he had seen her body rapidly stiffen with Yue's last statement.

Tsukiko forced a smile, trying to tell him she was okay. But although he had read her correctly, he decided not to trust her. Something was clearly upsetting her.

"Urg!" Kero grunted. "I can't track them down if my life depended on it right now!"

Yue turned to leave, "They'll turn up. But for now, Keroberus, we have other things to discuss. Now."

Kero rolled his eyes but thought better of it and followed Yue out, grumbling to himself along the way.

Akatsuki had not looked away from Tsukiko's face since he had seen her odd behavior. He waited until both guardians were out of sight and ear shot before speaking.

"Nanami-san. . .douka shita no?" He asked carefully.

"Oh, anou. . .it's nothing, really." She tried to smile.

"You're lying," Akatsuki simply said. "Now, what's wrong?"

When she didn't answer, the boy became anxious. If it was something to do with Kero or Yue, he was sure she would tell him. So he began to look around at their surroundings for another reason to fit her unspoken answer. His eyes rested on a ghostly figure about ten or eleven meters away, and quickly his eyes narrowed. It was the same male-spirit that he had seen the previous night with Tsukiko. The man was licking his lips and staring lustfully at the girl seated beside Akatsuki.

"Don't worry," Tsukiko's voice pulled the boy's attention back. "He can't harm us."

Akatsuki's head snapped back towards Tsukiko. "You can see him?"

Tsukiko nodded, "As if he were still alive. Is it the same man you were staring at last night?"

Akatsuki nodded slowly, completely unaware that she had known this the night before. "U-un, I know he can't harm us though; he's dead."

"Doesn't mean he can't harm us," Tsukiko spoke quietly. "People can feel spirits because they can still touch us. And if the person died angry, then they may only want to hurt."

"Then how. . ?"

Tsukiko smiled and pointed to a small row of green bushes just about seven meters away from them. "See those bushes? He can't go past them; they're his boundaries. I believe that's where he hurt all those young girls, and that's why some force won't allow his to go past them. So he can't hurt us, because we're too far away."

Akatsuki stared at her, unable to believe what she had just told him. He had always been able to see these spirits and even vaguely understand why they were there and what happened, but Tsukiko seemed to hear and tune into them fully in a much better way that Akatsuki could ever know or understand. It was simply amazing.

"Demo, thanks for worrying about me," Tsukiko said softly. "I'm sure you know what he did while he was alive."

Akatsuki nodded, as images of the man doing his dirty work flashed before his eyes. Shuddering, he shook his head to rid the images. Just another default in his spirit-seeing; he could see small chunks of their previous life no matter how little he wanted to see them.

He looked back over at Tsukiko, who was looking longingly into the forest. His breath caught; the suns rays were shining through the tree's higher branches just perfectly enough to create a beautiful pattern of light through the girls shimmering hair. He couldn't help it; what he did next he couldn't even understand himself.

Tsukiko turned back to face Akatsuki, and her eyes expanded to at least double their usual size. His emerald eyes were concealed by his eyelids as Akatsuki began to slowly lean in towards her. With her heart pounding uncontrollably and her face growing warmer and warmer with each passing second, Tsukiko allowed her eyelids to also close as she waited for his lips to meet hers.

Her eyebrows hitched together in a confused manner; something insider of her was screaming, warning, demanding her to stop and pull away like the voice had never done before. Now, more than ever, the odd mixed feeling between natural and unnatural blared inside her; and she couldn't understand it. What the heck was wrong with her?

_NO!_

Tsukiko's eyelids slowly fluttered open in time to see the boys face only inches away from her own. She could feel his warm breath brushing against her face, sending a shiver down her spine. Still, she didn't hesitate for her next actions, although she still couldn't explain it.

"Gomen," she whispered hoarsely; she was finding it difficult to find her voice suddenly. "I can't. We. . .this doesn't feel right."

Akatsuki quickly pulled away and frowned, his eyes opening once again. "You felt that too then."

It wasn't a question, but a statement, upon which Tsukiko somehow missed and didn't hear. She apologized again, not wanting or able to explain her actions for stopping him. "Gomen nasai."

She pushed herself off the branch and landed onto the ground with a single, flawless fall without going for a second branch, even though she was at least ten feet off the ground. She didn't look back up at the boy still sitting in the tree and ran out of the forest hurriedly to find Kero and Yue, not caring about the major scolding she was about to receive.

Akatsuki remained in the tree for a bit longer. He gazed at the spot Tsukiko had exited from view and left the forest, and sighed heavily to himself. He roughly raked his fingers through his messy locks of dark hair and closed his eyes, leaning back a bit and threw his head back in frustration.

"She felt it too," he mumbled to himself as a soft breeze blew in his direction and through his hair, making it dance for a few moments. He had felt the same thing she had; that natural and unnatural feeling all at the same time. That same unexplainable and confusing aura.

He sighed, and jumped down the tree in a single leap much the same way Tsukiko had, and also left the forest.

How come _their _lives had to be so confusing?

XxXxXxX

**I apologize for the shortness of the chapter, and even more so that it's taken over a week to get it up, especially with it's small size. It should've taken me a few days but I got MAJOR writers-block and about two to three hours of homework each night (dies).**

**The next chapter will be longer though, I promise. Probably regular length (15-17 pages +). But my stupid exam prep is getting in the way (cries) so the chapters will be up whenever I can get a chance to actually write, so within a week or two. Please don't be angry. **

**Oh, and to be all honest ;) this chapter is so short because it's just a filler for the next chapter (HINT!)**


	12. Chapter 11: Confusing Surprises

_**NEW Disclaimer — **__As I already said, I don't own CardCaptor Sakura, nor it's original characters (but I DO own my gang of these 'New Generation' kids! Hehee). But, also, I put in the lyrics to Ayumi Hamasaki's song "Angels Song", and I would just like to clarify that I DO NOT own the song/lyrics either. Hamasaki-san does. Gawd, if ONLY I had her voice XD_

_**Quick THANKS! — **__Just wanted to thank everyone for the amazing and great reviews!! They mean a lot to me, and they just want to make me keep going. Thanks, especially to those (__**StarAngel02**__,__** Jishinibaka-chan**__,__** Smoochynose**__, __**Cheeseycraziness**__,__** MysteriousAngelgirl**__,__** XxXMagnoliaBlossomsXxX**__, __**SilentCynara**__)____who review to most, if not all, of my chapters (smiles) You guys are great! And to my awesome beta, Jade-chan (__**Tsuki.Senpi**__)!! LOVE your little comments at the end of each of my chapter when you're done editing XD (hugs). _

_**Chapter eleven: Confusing Surprises**_

**Hitori bocchi nan ka ja nai'nda to**_ (Escaping into nights, I told myself.)_  
**Yoru ni nigeko'nde ii kikaseta** _(That I was not at all alone.)_  
**Kekkyoku sore wa jibun no kodoku wo**_ (But after all, it revealed.)_  
**Hinihini ukibori ni shite dake datta**_ (Nothing but my loneliness day by day.)_

**Gensou kara hanareta kaeri michi **_(On my way home from the bustle of the city.__**)**_**  
Itsumo tonari mo kawaranai no ni **_(Though it was no different from any other day.)_**  
Kurikaeshite'ku no ka to omottara** _(I thought I would repeat such pattern of life.)_**  
Kyuu ni namida ga komiagete kita **_(And tears welled up suddenly.)_****

Tayori na kute na sake na kute _(Feeling weak and wretched.)_

**Fuan de samishikute **_(Uneasy and lonely.)_

**Koe ni naranai koe de **_(I wanted some warmth.)_**  
Nukumori o hoshigatta **_(In a faint voice.)_****

The two girls looked at each other and giggled, as Akimi turned up the volume on her iPod. Both teen girls had an earpiece in their ears, listening carefully to the lyrics of their favourite singer's new song.As the lyrics continued to play, the one with odd coloured streaks in her hair began to turn crimson, slowly thinking about one person in particular while listening carefully.

**Nee kimi wa tashika ni totsuzen araware **_(But it's certain you appeared suddenly.)_**  
Watashi no kurayami ni hikari sashita **_(And a ray of light shone in my darkness.)_**  
Soshite sukoshi waratte **_(You smiled a little.)_

**Daijoubu datte unazuite** _(Told me it was all right with a nod.)_**  
Watashi no koutou de aruite shita **_(Took my hand and started to walk.)_**  
**

**Kimi no se ni tenshi no hane o mita **_(I saw an angel's wings on your back.)_****

Tsuyoku naritai to nagatta no wa _(It was not because I wanted to be dull to pain.)_**  
Itami ni nikoku naru tame ja nai **_(That I wished to be strong.)_

**Tasukerarete sasaerarete **_(I was helped and supported by you.)_**  
Atae atte yurushi atta **_(We gave and forgave each other.)_**  
Ano hi imamo o teiki tei **_(I got what I wanted to protect.)_

**Mono kateki dakara **_(On that day.)_****

Nee kimi wa tokidoki mububi sugiru gurai _(Sometimes you are too unprotected.)_**  
Watashi ni subete de butsu katte kuru **_(And come face to face with me with all your might.)_**  
Sore wa amari ni mo mabushii sugiru hodo de **_(It's so much dazzling.)_**  
Watashi wa mabata kisae mo oshimu no **_(That I even spare the time of a blink.)_**  
**

**Kimi wa se ni tenshi no hane wo motsu. . . **_(You have an angel's wings on your back. . .)_

Tsukiko waited a few more seconds for the song to finish by repeating some of the previous lyrics before gently tugging the ear-bud out from her ear and handing it back to Akimi. Akimi also waited until the end, then stopped the song and turned off the music device in her hands. She tucked it into her school bag and sighed, leaning up against the tree Tsukiko and her were sitting in front of.

"That has to be her best song yet, ne, Tsukiko-chan?" She asked lightly, closing her eyes and allowing the wind to softly blow through her hair.

Tsukiko smiled and nodded, also leaning against the tree. The artist, Ayumi Hamasaki, was both of the girls' favourite singer. Her songs were usually full of love and hope that both girls looked up to, even though Akimi didn't want anyone to know that part about herself.

"It is," Tsukiko agreed, sighing heavily. "Such beautiful lyrics and a strong beat, ne?"

Akimi also nodded, as images of one person in particular danced in her mind and the songs lyrics ran over in her head. The person's face came into view, his large and beautiful eyes shining at her lovingly. Akimi quickly grew a deep shade of red and pushed the glorious images away; it was useless.

Tsukiko peered over at Akimi, concerned by her friends sudden silence and frowned. She was still faintly tinted in her cheeks, and Tsukiko had a suspicion why. Although she had told Akimi that Akatsuki and her were just friends, Akimi seemed not to believe that. But Tsukiko knew it was true; especially with the events from the previous night, not that she told Akimi that part. It was just friendship, right? But still, it felt different. Not love-love, but. . .

Akimi caught her friend's odd stare at her and cocked her head to the side, "Nani?"

Tsukiko, not realizing she had been staring for so long, shook her head lightly and smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you say so. . ." Akimi laughed slightly and turned her attention back towards the school, then down to her watch. She frowned upon seeing the time. "Is he coming out any time soon? How long does it take to talk to a teacher?"

Tsukiko smiled, quietly giggling to herself. "He shouldn't be too long, I don't think."

Akimi sighed and looked at the time again, "I have to be home before dinner. My grandmother is coming to visit this week, and mom wants me to help clean before she comes."

Tsukiko nodded and turned her attention back towards the school's front doors. She had to agree, it was taking Akatsuki longer than she had expected. All he was supposed to do was run up and talk to Yue about walking home. Since Akimi was walking with them, both Tsukiko and Akatsuki had agreed that getting the astronomy teacher to walk home with them would have caused major suspicion and questions, so Akatsuki was asking Yukito/Yue to stay behind and walk or drive home on his on. Tsukiko suspected that the enormous amount of time taking to deal with this matter was due to Yue's stubbornness of not wanting to let the two out of his sight. But Kero would still be with them, in Tsukiko's tote bag, so everything would be okay still.

Finally, the boy came out of the building and looked around frantically for the girls. At the same time, both Tsukiko and Akimi stood up for him to see and he ran over to them, his eyes blazing oddly towards Tsukiko. He quickly apologized to them for being late, and then followed the two girls towards the sidewalk.

Akatsuki walked up to Tsukiko, so she was in the middle, and brought his voice down so only she could hear, "Yue-san isn't very impressed with us at the moment."

"Didn't like the idea too much, ne?" She asked with half a smile.

"Not at all," He returned the smile. "He doesn't agree with it, demo, he'll go back to the apartment when Yukito-san's done work."

Akimi saw the two exchange smiles and could hear them whispering to themselves quietly, and couldn't help but frown slightly. Even though Tsukiko had told her earlier that there was nothing that could happen between her and Akatsuki, Akimi still didn't quite believe her for some reason. She couldn't help it; the way the two looked at each other, smiled at each other, talked to each other. . .they clearly were more than friends. And even though Akimi had said that she didn't need a guy and she really didn't care, she did care. She cared a lot; enough for it to still hurt.

Tsukiko looked over at Akimi and saw the glazed look in her eyes along with the slight hurt showing on her face. Tsukiko felt her friend's sadness tug at her own heart, and she turned to Akatsuki with pleading eyes. Akatsuki looked over to Akimi and nodded to Tsukiko, as if completely understanding.

He swung himself so he was now between the two girls and smiled down at Akimi. Upon seeing his tall figure approach her, Akimi's head jolted up to see his smiling face looking down at her and his soft eyes gazing across her own face. She was sure she would have melted, if not for wanting to never show how much she really wanted him. She pushed down the small blush begging to appear.

"Daijoubu desu ka, Hamamoto-san?" Akatsuki asked softly.

Akimi nodded and forced herself to smile, "Oh, arigatou. Daijoubu."

Akatsuki nodded, somewhat happy with her response and looked forward again to see where he was going. He smiled and said softly, "Yokatta."

Akimi was sure her face was glowing bright red by now, and was extremely grateful that the boy was looking away from her and couldn't see her face. She gently chided herself and shook her head to rid herself of the blush.

Tsukiko, though, had caught her friend blushing and couldn't help but smile to herself. Since the previous night, she had learned and accepted that Akatsuki and herself could only be friends. There was something there that was stopping them from being more, even though her body was telling herself she was only half way to nailing the cause of it. Something more.

"Can you believe that assignment Ashikaga-sensei has us doing?" Tsukiko broke the tension. "Already this early on in the year, too!"

Akimi nodded, happy for her friend's quick thinking, whether intentional or not. "I know! I mean, a two page letter in English!? I can barely write a paragraph, let alone two pages! And he said he was going to send it to some class in America too, ne?"

"He is?" Akatsuki asked, whipping his head towards Akimi, as if not believing her. "You can't be serious! So it has to be perfect, I guess, ne?"

"Great!" Tsukiko threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "Maybe I should have dropped English instead of gym!"

All three of them laughed as a soft breeze blew in their direction. The breeze forced the tree's leaves to rustle and create a calming sound, almost like water. The day seemed so peaceful and serene.

Suddenly, Tsukiko stopped, her eyes widening with panic. The two others stopped a few paces in front of her, and turned around to look back at her. Akimi cocked her head to the side, confused, while Akatsuki frowned at her. Tsukiko gave a look around, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper as the breeze slowly died down.

"Tsukiko-chan?" Akimi asked, taking a step closer but stopped because of the cold stare she received from the girls amber eyes.

Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki, who had taken the half step to be beside Akimi again. "You felt that, didn't you? Can't you? Please tell me I'm not losing it."

Akatsuki frowned, slowly shaking his head. "No, you're not — I felt it too. He's here, isn't he?"

Akimi began to shake for no reason, looking worriedly from Akatsuki to Tsukiko. "Na-nani? Who's here?"

Suddenly, the calming breeze was still and the air became too stiff. Tsukiko's eyes widened in horror as she saw a wall of flames appear from what seemed like nowhere, heading towards Akimi and Akatsuki's backs.

"Iwakura-kun!" She screamed, hoping he'd get the hint.

He was already a step a head of her, feeling the powerful magic approaching him at a rapid speed. Without thinking about it, he pulled Akimi to his chest and jumped out of the way, landing onto the hard ground. He landed on his back, taking the brunt of the fall, as Akimi began to scream hysterically, covering her ears with her trembling hands.

Tsukiko did the same, but lunged herself to the opposite side. She fell onto her shoulder and scraped against the cement for the last few inches of the fall. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from groaning in pain. Sitting up and looking, she saw that the friction and cement had ripped her blouse and scrapped her skin. She was bleeding, but only slightly. Still, it stung like hell.

She stood up and looked around frantically for her two friends, but couldn't see across the way because of the thick black smoke that still lingered in the air between the two groups.

"Akimi-chan!" She called out, trying to lightly flick the dirt off of her scrape without making it sting too much. "Akimi-chan! Iwakura-kun!"

"We're okay!" Akatsuki called out, and then croaked quieter to himself, "We're okay."

Akimi continued to cry and scream hysterically, even in the boys reassuring grasp. Akatsuki stood up, and pulled her along with him. He began to look around frantically for a place to hide the girl in his arms, still being able to feel Li's presence. He quickly found a row of tree's just off the distance, separating the road and sidewalk from a row of fences.

He slipped his hand into Akimi's and pulled her along towards the tree's. He pulled them so they were behind one and gently pressed her against the trunk, holding onto her shoulders firmly as they both slid into crouching positions. His heart broke when he saw her crying with fear and confusion.

"Hamamoto-san, are you alright?" He asked gently.

She shook her head frantically, still crying. "What's going on? What's going on!?"

Akatsuki gently slid his hands off her shoulders and into her hands, trying to comfort her. "It'll be okay, just trust me, okay? It'll be okay."

Akimi stopped crying, but continued to shake with fear. Where had those flames come from? Who were her friends talking about? How could this boy in front of her be so calm? She looked up into his big, emerald eyes and somehow found comfort. She slowly nodded, "I. . .I trust you."

Akatsuki smiled sadly, and brought his voice down. "I need you to stay here, okay? You'll be safe here."

He stood up and peered around the tree to see that the smoke had cleared and Tsukiko was with Kero, now in his true form, looking around frantically for Li. He growled low in his throat and took a step to join them when a cold and frightened hand grabbed onto his wrist. He looked down to see a pair of tropical-sea blue eyes looking up at him with a pleading glint shining in them.

"Wh-where are you going?" She asked in a small voice.

Akatsuki tried to give her a reassuring look, but couldn't. Instead, he forced a small smile even though he knew she could probably tell it was fake, "I have to go help, okay? But I'll come back."

He didn't wait for a response and ran off to go help Tsukiko and Kero. He missed the lingering stare he received from the girls wide and terrified eyes as he ran off into danger. Akimi couldn't help but let a small tear escape her eye and roll down her cheek; not because she was scarred, which she was, but because she couldn't understand what was going on. Suddenly, her eyes widened frantically. What if. . .what if this was it? What if she never saw him, or neither of them, again? She closed her eyes, trying to play her song and let the boy's soft, reassuring eyes appear in her head;

**Soshite sukoshi waratte **_(You smiled a little.)_

**Daijoubu datte unazuite** _(Told me it was all right with a nod.)_**  
Watashi no koutou de aruite shita **_(Took my hand and started to walk.)_

**Kimi no se ni tenshi no hane o mita **_(I saw an angel's wings on your back.)_

"Nanami-san!" Akatsuki called out as he caught up to Tsukiko and Kero.

Both Tsukiko and Kero whipped around to see the boy running towards them, and Tsukiko couldn't help but let a small sigh of relief escape her. Her ease showed in her eyes as he approached her, but she quickly frowned again.

"Where's Akimi-chan?" She asked seriously.

"She's safe," He reassured. "She's hiding behind that tree over there."

"No time for chit-chat," Kero told them, looking forward again and smelling the air for Li. "He's here, and we don't have time to start up some pleasant conversation right now, got it Kids?"

Both nodded, but it was Tsukiko who spoke. "Got it!"

Both began looking for Li by their own means. Tsukiko closed her eyes and tried to pin-point his location but couldn't; hey, she was in training still. Her magic wasn't that great yet. Akatsuki, on the other hand, began focusing his energy on each spot that Li may have been hiding behind. It had helped before, but this time he just didn't seemed to be able to find him.

"There!" Kero suddenly yelled.

Tsukiko whipped her head to see Li suddenly in front of them, only a few meters away. How did he get so close so quickly? She heard Akatsuki come up beside her and growl.

Li smirked disgustingly, "Miss me?"

Tsukiko almost choked even though nothing was in her mouth. Miss? As if. But she didn't answer, because she knew she didn't have to.

"That's it!" Akatsuki spat sarcastically. "We missed you alright. We were beginning to get nervous and all that you weren't gracing us with your fabulous presence."

Li rolled his eyes, "Wonderful. Just what I was hoping to hear; sarcasm. Wonder where he get that from, ne, Keroberus-san?"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP, you _slimy_ and _disgusting _Li!" Kero screamed.

This seemed to amuse Li, as he smiled even more. "That's not very nice, Keroberus-san, especially since—"

But his words were cut off by large flames suddenly flying towards him. The man was scarcely able to jump out of the way of the large and bright flames. When the flames died, Li looked angrily at the group, expecting Kero to be grinning widely at almost being able to get him.

Except, it wasn't Kero who had thrown the flames; it was the boy standing not too far from the guardian. The boy was gasping for breath, his chest heaving in a steady rhythm. His eyes were looking menacingly and hatefully at Li; they resembled so much like the other two he knew.

Li's eyes narrowed on the boy; how dare he? And even with his few days gone, the boy seemed to be even stronger. Although his magic was very distinctive and different from Kero's, Li had somehow presumed the attack to belong to Kero even though it had felt different. But it was a powerful flame, and he hadn't expected the kid to be able to drive something that powerful just yet. Damn, he had assumed wrong again.

"Can't we reason?" He asked, clearly full of it. Although he held out his hands in a surrendering manner, both teens didn't dare let their guards down and Li was able to see that. He smirked, "Come now, we don't need to fight, do we?"

"You freakin' well started it!" Akatsuki shrieked accusingly. "We wouldn't be in the mess if you had just left us alone!"

"You know he's lying, ne?" Tsukiko whispered low enough only for Akatsuki's ears. "He just wants us to lower our guard."

"And he think's we're actually going to fall for it!?" He said loud enough for Li to hear. "He must be stupid!"

A small flame flew towards them, landing near their feet between them making Tsukiko and Akatsuki jump back so the flame wouldn't hit them. Simultaneously, they turned their attention back to Li, sharing the same blazed glare.

"If you Kids want to play," He said cooly. "Then let's play."

Li held out his sword in his battle stance and threw up an off-white coloured strip of paper. Strong and heavy flames wound themselves towards the group at the fastest speed they could possibly travel. Both teens jumped out of the way as Kero slid Tsukiko onto his back and took off into the air.

Akatsuki waited behind the river of flames, then threw his own attack on Li with his own powerful flames. His flames clashed with Li's, but broke through and hit him straight on even with the blind eyes Akatsuki had thrown them with. Li was thrown onto his back, skidding across the pavement. He winced, as he struggled to sit up.

Tsukiko, who was flying through the air on Kero's back still, let go of her grip on Kero's fur and put her hands into position as they began to approach Li. Once above him, she screamed out her spell as heavy winds took off from her fingers and pushed Li onto the ground again.

Li quickly became irritated; for some reason, he couldn't push himself up and past the girls wind-spell. But she was just a girl, and compared to him, her magic shouldn't have been that powerful! He was the most powerful person in all the Li Clan! He frowned; well, _almost _the most powerful. At least one of them.

"Iwakura-kun!" Tsukiko yelled as Kero maintained his composure in the air. "You're turn!"

Akatsuki looked up to her and smiled, quickly nodding. He put his hands together and went through his own ritual, then smiled wickedly before placing his attack on Li.

"Tsuchi RYUUJIN!" He screamed, as the earth began to move under his will. The ground became alive, and clasped itself around Li's wrists and ankles, making him unable to move. He slowly began to approach Li's struggling body, smiling triumphantly to himself.

Kero landed a few feet away from Li. He didn't even make it to a complete stop before Tsukiko had jumped off his back and was making her way to join Akatsuki by the defeated man. She looked over at the emerald eyed boy, who was wearing a smug smile.

"You're beaten, Li-san," Akatsuki said quietly but in a darker tone than usual. "So just give up. We've won, so just leave us alone."

Li stopped thrashing around and looked straight at Akatsuki, his eyes suddenly encased with determination. He smiled one of his smug and disgusting smiles, "You know, you don't know how much you're like him."

"Huh?" Akatsuki narrowed his eyes unwillingly. "What do you mean? Like who?"

"Don't listen," Tsukiko begged. "He's just trying to trick you, get you to ease your magic."

Too late; Akatsuki had let his guard down just long enough for Li to pull his hands free of the strong earth and jump up. He plunged himself towards Akatsuki.

Tsukiko gave a small gasp of surprise when the man had suddenly jumped up, and watched in horror as he moved quickly to be behind Akatsuki and twist his arm back. Akatsuki let out a loud cry of pain, as Li pressed his arm into his back and grinned.

Li snickered and commented about how foolish the boy really was, making Akatsuki curse loudly, then cry out again as Li pressed harder on his arm.

"Temper, temper," Li scolded. "You should really work on that."

Akatsuki tried to break free of the tight grasp he was in, but failed and grunted in pain. Then he cursed again to Li in a low growl, only egging Li on more. He leaned into the boy's ear and chuckled, glancing over at Kero quickly to see him ready to attack any second. If he was going to do this, he only had a few seconds.

He licked his lips sinfully and brought his voice down so low that only Akatsuki could hear him, "You really don't know how much you're like him," He glanced back over at Kero again and grinned. He brought his voice down even lower. "Just like your father."

Akatsuki would have shouted if he wasn't in so much pain. His head whipped around to face Li, who had pulled his face away from his ear and was grinning happily to himself. The boy's jade eyes narrowed, his eyes blazing with angry flames.

"What the hell do you know about my father?" Akatsuki growled. "What the _HELL _do you know about _MY FATHER_!?"

Akatsuki jerked away from Li as he felt his grip loosen, even though he was sure Li loosened his hold on him on purpose. He glared at him, his fist balling up at his sides and shaking angrily. He gritted his teeth and bit his tongue to stop himself from swearing very loudly as Li only continued to smile, as if he was pleased to see the boy so confused and upset. Ah yes, a weak spot.

"Iwakura-kun!" Tsukiko called out nervously, knowing better than to run over to him with the tension in the air and a very eager Li so close.

Kero also stood by, keeping between both kids. He was ticked, and if he had had his way he would have killed Li right then and there. But that would cause too much havoc at the moment, so he stayed away. He had heard the boy yell out to Li, and was panicking. Surly this would rise only more questions. Damn Li.

Li's eyes traveled away from Akatsuki and wandered onto Tsukiko. He smiled, seeing the distance Kero was keeping between the two so he could equally protect both kids. He momentarily turned back to the growling boy and grinned evilly.

"Well, I gave _you _a hint those guardians of yours don't want you to know," He turned back to Tsukiko, "It would only be fair if I made it equal."

Before neither Akatsuki or Kero could react, Li was already across the way and by Tsukiko. She didn't even have time to scream as Li wound himself behind her and had put his blade up to her neck, holding it on a slant just under her chin. She raised her head a bit, trying to escape the sharp feel of the sword, but failed when he pressed it gently onto her skin. A sharp intake of breath escaped her as he brought his lips right up to her ear. She could feel his warm, slimy breath on her skin, making her wanting nothing more than to take a shower and forget that awful feeling.

"Like I said," he whispered into her ear. "I told that boy a secret, and it would only be fair if I told you a secret I have as well, ne?"

"Nanami-san!" Akatsuki yelled, taking a step towards Li and Tsukiko. He began forming his hands together when Kero jumped in front of him to stop him. Akatsuki looked at him like he was mad, and was about to say something when Li spoke and stopped him.

"One step or spell," Li said loudly so Kero and Akatsuki could hear. "And I run this blade along her neck, and let her blood spill."

Akatsuki growled, but stopped when he heard Tsukiko give a small squeak of pain and watched in horror as Li pressed the swords blade into her skin just enough so a small cut formed. Small droplets of rich, red blood began to trickle down her neck and stop at the collar of her blouse, soaking into the pure white fabric thirstily.

"That hurt?" Li whispered hungrily into her ear. "Want to scream? Cry? Beg for me to let you go?"

Tsukiko raised her hands, trying to put them togther but stopped and dropped them back to her sides as she felt him push the blade into her neck again and two more drops of blood left her body. Yet, she refused to cry. She hated being weak, hated being the damsel-in-distress. And she refused to let her emotions show through to the disgusting man behind her.

"Never," She spat, "would I give you that pleasure."

Li sighed, as if almost regrettably. "Well then, if not, I guess I can only kill you. I mean, you're not making this very fun for me you know. That was the only reason I kept you alive in the first place, was to have some fun. But since that's gone. . ."

Tsukiko had to stop herself from laughing; _Fun? _Was that how he saw all this? As a game? A time when he could play? What the hell was wrong with this man!? She swallowed the urge and settled on rolling her eyes.

"But," he leaned in closer, making Tsukiko squirm in discomfort and disgust. "I did promise, didn't I? That I'd tell you something. I guess I wouldn't be a gentleman if I went against my word."

"And if I don't want to know?" Tsukiko spat.

Li smiled and laughed slightly, "Well, I guess that's too bad." He pressed the blade harder against the same cut, opening it wider. Tsukiko winced, feeling the blade slowly expanding the cut. Larger drops fell, some escaping down her chest, missing the shirts collar completely.

Li leaned in so he was right in her ear, and whispered coldly, "Say goodbye, to your guardians."

Tsukiko looked forward and realized Yue had arrived and was gritting his teeth together angrily, his fist clenched as he shook with rage. She hadn't even realized Yue appearing until then. He was standing a little in front of Akatsuki, to the boys left while Kero was now standing in the same position to Akatsuki's right. The golden beast was also shaking, growling angrily at the man holding their precious younger mistress against her will. Still, neither attacked; the odds of hurting her in the process were extremely high.

"And," Li continued, keeping his eyes glued onto the centre of the group in front of them. "You may also say goodbye to your brother."

Tsukiko's eyes widened, but quickly returned to their normal size. She tried to turn her head towards Li, but found herself scraping against his sharp sword and couldn't. She growled, much to his joy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"_Nanami-san!_" A voice screamed in concern in the distance.

"Such temper is not needed," He laughed slightly to her. "My, my. . .aren't we alike?"

"Answer the question," She ordered sternly.

"Only if you insist," He smirked. His gaze went back to the group, onto the emerald eyed boy, and he repeated himself in a lower, rougher voice. "I said, you may also say goodbye to your brother. I'm sure you heard me the first time."

Tsukiko followed his gaze, and found herself looking at Akatsuki. Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest, wanting to explode along with her confused mind. She turned her gaze, just her eyes, back to Li. He was grinning, mostly because of the horror and confused struck look the girl wore. He had clearly gotten her right where he hoped, and now, she knew. He had ruined a portion of their plan.

Li smiled crudely, and raised his hand with the sword, ready to kill her. Well, at least he had given her a parting gift; he laughed slightly at his own joke. Tsukiko closed her eyes, preparing for the worse.

"TSUKIKO!"

Tsukiko's eyes flew open at the unusual usage of her name with the familiar yet unfamiliar tongue. Flames were shooting at fast speeds towards them, and seeing them Li accidently pulled the sword away from the girls slender neck just enough so it wasn't pressing against the skin so much. Tsukiko felt the weight loosen from her neck, and took her chance. She closed her eyes and ducked under Li's arm, then elbowed him hard in the stomach so he stumbled back a bit so she could get away.

Tsukiko crouched as the flames flew above her and towards Li, holding her ears and trying to get the voices to stop screaming at her, the same voices that had been trying to help her and warn her along the way. A raging battle broke out.

_Brother? Brother? That's not. . .wait, no. . .not possible. . .can't be. . ._

_Stop pretending! _The voice contradicted itself. _You know it has to be true! It all fits together! _

_Just ask Kero-chan! _The voice suggested. _And Yue-san._

The voice laughed, _Like they'll tell you anything!_

_They'll have to! _The voice spoke strongly. _Li-san already killed their chances of keeping it a secret. You have to ask them! They have to tell you!_

Two winged creatures flew over her, one yelling at the other that if they got their hands on Li he'd personally make him wish he was never born. Tsukiko recognized this as Kero's voice, with his strong Osaka accent, sending her senses back to their surroundings somewhat.

"Tsu — err, Nanami-san," Akatsuki said softly, crouching beside her and gently resting a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her trembling. "Are. . .are you alright?"

Tsukiko couldn't help but jump by his touch. What was wrong with her? She tried to hide her confusion and forced herself to stop shaking and put on a fake smile. "I'm alright, arigatou."

He didn't seem to completely listen though, as he gently took her chin into his hand and titled it up a bit. Tsukiko winced as the skin became tight on her neck, and pulled the cut. Akatsuki frowned at this, and gently put her head back down.

"You're hurt," he said gently, hurt shining in his own eyes. "And you're still bleeding a bit."

"I-I'm okay," She tried to smile. She brought her fingers up to the cut on her neck and gently dabbed it, then pulled it away to look at it. Fresh blood was resting on her fingertips.

Akatsuki gently shook his head, mumbling about her stubbornness as he undid his tie and slipped it off his neck. He folded it up neatly and lifted her chin gently again, and began dabbing it clean. She winced by the pressure, even though it was small, and Akatsuki quickly noticed and tried to go gentler, quietly apologizing to her.

Tsukiko gently took his wrist and pulled it away, trying her best to smile warmly at him. "I'm alright, really. You should go check on Akimi-chan. She's probably waiting for someone to explain this all to her. And. . .she'll probably want you to do that."

"Demo, you—!"

"Daijoubu," she said gently. "It would mean a lot to her."

Akatsuki stayed for a bit longer, but gave in upon seeing the pleading look in her eyes. He stood up, tucking the tie into his pocket and then gently promising her that he'd be back. Tsukiko smiled, and promised to wait and help explain it all to Akimi in a bit.

He was only a few steps away when Tsukiko had stood up and called out for him to wait. He happily obliged, and turned around to wait for her to catch up to him. She smiled warmly at him, making him blush only slightly.

"You called me 'Tsukiko'," She pointed out, suddenly remembering who had called her name before the flames, and the fact he almost called her it again a few minutes ago. "You called me by my first name."

Akatsuki looked away, blushing a bit more. "I. . .gomen, did you not want me to?"

Tsukiko shook her head, finding it cute that he thought he offended her. "Not at all! I fell like we've become real friends now. Can I call you 'Akatsuki-kun', then?"

Akatsuki looked at her, stunned and began nodding vigorously. "Oh. . .anou, sure."

Tsukiko smiled and thanked him as he turned around and headed for Akimi, who was still sitting by the tree. Tsukiko waited until he was at the tree before letting her smile down, and let the voices argue in her head again. She looked around for their guardians, and quickly found them talking to themselves seriously not too far from her. She walked over, keeping a very straight and determined face on. She was getting answers, no matter what.

When she was close enough to hear them, both guardians stopped talking at once. They turned to her, both sharing the same anxious gaze.

Tsukiko didn't give them a chance to speak before she, "I want answers, now."

"What do you mean?" Yue asked seriously. "I am sure Keroberus has already told you that we can only tell so much, and — "

"I don't care about your promise," Tsukiko said quietly but sternly. "I want answers, and you're going to give them to me."

Yue and Kero exchanged looks, and then Yue spoke in his soft but serious voice. "What did Li-san tell you?"

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki ran the last of the way to Akimi and knelt down in front of her. She was hugging her knee's close to her, looking out into open space and softly crying. She was so confused, and so worried about her friends. How could they not have told her this? How could they have kept something like this from her?

She felt a soft hand touch her arm, and she snapped out of her daze to see large jade eyes looking into her blue ones. She wiped away her tears, trying to hide them.

"Hamamoto-san," Akatsuki began quietly. "Gomen nasai. . .we owe you a huge explanation."

She nodded, and took a large gulp of air before even attempting to talk. Why was she suddenly having problems finding her voice? It wasn't like her at all. "I was so worried. . .that you and Tsukiko-chan. . .you and. . ."

She was forced to stop as fresh tears clouded her vision and began to trickle down her cheek. She slammed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears and bit her lower lip. She could taste the blood slowly seeping into her mouth she was biting her lip so hard, but she didn't care and bit harder; the tears just refused to stop flowing.

Suddenly, she was being crushed against another body. She opened her eyed to realize she was in Akatsuki's arms; he had pulled her into an embrace and was holding her tightly. He was gently soothing her hair, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and take a deep breath. She smiled inside; he smelt so nice, just like some nice spice she couldn't quite name.

Akimi knew he was only doing this in a friendly way, and nothing more, but she couldn't help but take in as much as she could. It felt so good, like heaven, being in his arms. Being that close to him. She wrapped her arms under his, and clutched the back of his shirt in her tight fists. Then burrowed her head into his shoulder again, and inhaled deeply. She felt so safe in his arms. Nothing could hurt her. Nothing could touch her or confuse her.

"Gomen nasai," He apologized again, not realizing the affect he was having on her. He continued to gently sooth her soft black hair, and couldn't help but notice her small scent of honey and wildflower's. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. I promise."

Akimi nodded into his shoulder, and gripped tighter onto his shirt. Her song continued to played gently in her head;

**Kimi wa se ni tenshi no hane wo motsu. . . **_(You have an angel's wings on your back. . .)_

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko took a deep breath and looked into Yue's eyes, then into Kero's. She was determined to get the answers she wanted, and nothing less. No offence to their Mistress, but she didn't care about that promise. She had to know.

"So," She took another deep breath. "Is it true or not?"

The two guardians looked at each other, both asking each other the same thing; should they tell her or not? But it was already too late; without knowing it, they had given her her answer. She knew the truth, the one they were tying to hide from her. Or at least, one of the questions.

Finally, Kero spoke. ". . .Yeah, that Kid's your brother."

Tsukiko wanted to scream at them for not telling her before, or even Akatsuki for that matter. Wasn't that something they deserved to know? Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. When her eyes opened again, she looked at them seriously.

"Then were our ages guessed wrong?" She asked slowly. "When my parents found me, and when the orphanage found him?"

"Iie," Yue spoke. "They guess pretty close to your ages, maybe a week off."

"But that means. . ."

"You're twins," Kero finished for her. "Yeah."

Tsukiko ran her fingers through her hair roughly, trying to make sense of everything. Her life was spinning out of control, and she never seemed to be able to stop it. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She looked over at the tree where Akatsuki was at with Akimi; he had just pulled her into an embrace. She watched as Akimi hesitantly reached her arms around him and clung onto the back of his shirt.

She turned back to the guardians, "Why did our parents leave us? Didn't they want us?"

Kero looked as though he had been slapped in the face; her face looked so hurt. He hated that look, the look that so resembled his Mistress's. He looked at Yue to explain, and became irritated when he didn't. Well, it wasn't his fault if he said too much; Yue knew he wasn't good with keeping things in place.

"That's not it," Kero told her sternly. "You have to understand that your parents loved you both so much. It was that reason why they had to give you up; because they loved you so much."

"That makes no sense though," Tsukiko told him, trying to keep her voice down. "That make's no sense at all!"

"It does so!" Kero shot back. "Don't you get it!? There's only one reason your parent's would have gone to that extreme! Because Li-san was— !"

"You've said enough, Keroberus," Yue interrupted angrily. "No more."

"Hell no!" Kero yelled at his equal. "This kid's been in the dark for way too long! She's gotten this much, what will a little more knowledge be? It's not like she'll find out what they really didn't want her to know! I'm not keeping her deep in the dark any longer!"

"Keroberus," Yue said in a very alert tone. "I'm warning you— "

Kero ignored him, and spoke quickly and quietly. "Listen here and listen good, Kid, because I never want to hear you speak ill of those two again, hear me? Good. Now, those two would never give up their only children, of which they adored, because they felt like it. That would be stupid. They did it to protect you, to save you. Can't you see? Haven't you realized? Li-san couldn't have just found you guys and not know about your past, or parents. He— "

"Keroberus!" Yue yelled angrily, flying between Tsukiko and Kero. "I said, that will do!"

"She's a smart kid, Yue," Kero said gritting his teeth. "And although _she _is my friend, and I don't want to hurt her, this Kid is going to find out on her own sooner or later."

Tsukiko watched them quarrel for a bit, as she thought about what Kero had just told her. No, Li had even said that it wasn't her nor Akatsuki's fault directly of why he was out for them. It would only make sense if it was connected to her parents, their parents. But, why did they leave her at a nice house with a pleasant family, while leaving Akatsuki in a horrid orphanage? She could somewhat, _somewhat_, understand why they had to leave them, but why separate them too? Why not keep them together? Was that so dangerous?

Suddenly, her eyes widened. She cleared her throat, making the arguing stop and the two creature's gazes turn back on her. "You two. . .you two don't just _know _our parents, do you? They sent you here, didn't they? To watch over us? To protect us? Because we were getting too close, and Li-san found us. . ."

Kero and Yue exchanged looks; Kero looking almost happy and Yue as though he wanted to strangle Kero. Yue looked back to Tsukiko, and looked her straight in the eyes that so resembled her fathers.

"You can't tell your brother any of this," Yue told her firmly. "Any of this. Of your relationship with him, of us. . .any of it."

"Nani!?" Tsukiko raised her voice enraged. "He has every right to know! We both did! Why shouldn't I tell him!?"

After all he had been through; the orphanage, friendless, his crummy parents. . .She couldn't understand why he shouldn't know. He certainly deserved to, maybe even more than she did. At least she was always in a warm house, surrounded by love and complete with plenty of friends while he had nothing. It just didn't make sense!

"Because," Yue began, glaring at Kero again. "Neither of you were supposed to know. And we promised— "

"I already told you that right now I don't care about that promise," Tsukiko said wrathfully. "No offence, but like Kero-chan said; we've been left in the dark for way too long."

"Please," Yue said quietly. "I am begging you. . ."

Tsukiko couldn't help but look at him, shocked, as if he were growing a second head. She had never seen or thought of Yue as being one to beg and plead. And yet, he was. Because of a fact she had finally learned, and the possibility that the other would know.

They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like eternity, before Tsukiko sighed and ran her fingers through her hair quickly.

"Fine," She spat angrily. "I won't tell him, yet. But if you don't tell him soon, I will. That I'll promise."

Yue, although reluctant, settled on that as Akatsuki and Akimi approached them. She was asleep in Akatsuki's arms, her face still stained with tears. Blushing furiously, Akatsuki quickly told Tsukiko about her crying and falling asleep in his arms while he was holding her. He had never gotten the chance to give her any answers what so ever.

Tsukiko sighed, and began to lead Akatsuki towards Akimi's house so they could drop her off. She quickly made up a lie about Akimi not feeling well in school, and falling asleep in the nurses office. Thankfully, Akimi's mother bought it and thanked Akatsuki for carrying her daughter home. Akatsuki, still blushing, said it was no problem at all.

Tsukiko sighed; this was going to be a long week.

XxXxXxX

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute, Syaoran?" The woman's gentle voice cooed. Her arms reached out and lifted a baby, cradling it in her arms. _

"_She's beautiful," a man's deep and husky voice spoke. "Just like you."_

_The woman seemed to ignore this and kept cooing at the baby wrapped in soft pink blankets in her arms. "She has your eyes."_

_The man smiled. As he looked at the woman and baby, his face grew soft and gentle. "Yes, but everything else is you."_

"_Not true," the woman continued softly. Whether she was focusing her attention to the man or the baby more was unknown. "Both have your unruly chestnut hair."_

**  
**_"Is __**Akatsuki**__ awake yet?" The man asked. _

"_Iie, he's still sound asleep." The woman sighed and continued cooing softly to the swaddled baby girl in her arms. "This one loves sleeping, but not during the day. She's stubborn," she smirked. "Just like her father."_

_The man reached out his hand towards the baby and began to gently caress her soft, peach cheeks. The baby gave a small smile, making the man's lips turn into an amused smile._

"_She's got you wrapped around her little finger already, ne?" The woman smirked. _

_Syaoran's smile grew. He joined the woman in cooing to the young baby. "They both do."_

_Just then, a distant crying of a young infant was faintly heard. Both parents stopped to listen to the noise, and Syaoran couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "Look's like he's awake." _

"_I'll get h—"_

"_Iie, let me." He leaned down and kissed the small, fragile baby in the woman's arms and smiled. "I'll be back with __**Akatsuki**__ in a second." He told his wife._

_The room became more vacant as he disappeared. Seconds later, it seemed, the crying stopped. Syaoran must have gotten the other baby. A graceful smile was pulled by the woman's luscious pink lips. She turned back down to the bundle; a small childish giggle erupted from it, causing the woman's smile to grow. _

"_There we go, my beautiful Tsukiko. . .such a beautiful laugh."_

Tsukiko's eyes slowly fluttered open, but she didn't jolt up or begin to panic. Instead, her brows hitched close together in a very confused manner as she draped her arm across her forehead in a very relaxed way. Kero was sleeping peacefully by her feet, and she tried to move as little as possible as not to disturb him.

How had she not seen the similarities between Akatsuki and herself before? They had the same chocolate coloured hair, the same smile, the same habits, say running their hand through their hair. Although their eyes were different colours, they still resembled each other. They both shared the same curious glint and large innocence in those round, deep eyes of theirs. And then there was all those 'coincidences'; the charms, the guardians, the same man after them, both being adopted. . .

She mentally slapped herself; how on Earth had she not seen that before? It was so obvious.

And then, she had figured it out and a small smile crept across her lips; that was the mysterious pull between them. That 'natural but unnatural' feeling towards each other relationship wise. Natural to be close, but not natural to be _that _way close. It was the familiar, sibling pull they had felt. The family-love feeling. Brother to sister love. That was why she felt so safe with him; because of that unknown relationship.

She remembered reading about how twins had a special bond; could this be part of it? Closer than normal siblings because of being born into the world together, as one?

She smiled to herself, suddenly trying to imagine the two people she saw in her dream that she was now so sure was their parents. The same hair. . .the same eyes. . .how did she not see that before, either? She continued to smile, trying to imagine their parents and hoping they'd come back to her in that dream as sleep began to invade her body again.

Then, just before completely falling into the depths of sleep, she frowned.

Hopefully he would realize it, too, before she had to tell him. Although she knew he deserved to know, for some reason she didn't want to make Yue or Kero upset, because that would upset two other people.

This was going to be a long, long week.

XxXxXxX

**Haha, I promised it'd be longer, didn't I? Well, I (thank GOD!) didn't have much for homework this weekend, and I was absolutely dying to get this chapter written, so I spent literally all of Friday evening and Saturday afternoon/evening writing this, getting through every writers block as quickly as possible to bring this to you guys quickly, because who knows when I can get chapters up these days.**

**Please, leave a comment! You all know how much I enjoy those!! And, truly, no exaggeration, they really do make my day and help me. **

**Again, I'll update ASAP, but don't expect anything to be up this quickly for a while!! Lol. **

**-Rai**

_**Special THANKS! — **__Special thanks goes to __**SilentCynara **__for, although she didn't realize it, gave me an idea for this chapter through one of her reviews. She brought up about the space I gave to Akimi-chan, and I wasn't going to really make her a bigger character until much, much later. But, although she didn't realize it, Nara-chan gave me the idea to change that! Thanks a million! And, of course, I haven't properly thanked my beta for a bit. So, __**Tsuki.Senpi**__, Jade-chan my awesome beta and best friend, thanks a million! Your suggestions, comments and time mean a lot to me, especially since I know how much of a pain/unedited my writing can be. _


	13. Chapter 12: Explaining Secrets

_**A/N — **__I'm apologizing in advance, guys, because this chapter is really only a recap after the first scene because Akimi has to know everything now! So this chapter isn't that eventful, unfortunately. Lol. So, mina sama gomen nasai!_

_**Chapter twelve: Explaining Secrets**_

Large, innocent eyes flew open; it was Tsukiko but at the same time, it wasn't. The owner of the eyes began to wail, allowing huge salty tears to leak from her eyes and run down her cheeks. Why wasn't anyone coming for her? Didn't they know she was calling?

The cries didn't cease, as the eyes looked around at her surroundings. She seemed to be lying down in some sort of cradle, with long wooden bars enclosing the space around her. A soft fleece blanket lay atop of her, and above her was a small spinning mobile with four teddy bears, each a different colour. In the background, she could hear a soft lullaby playing. . .but it didn't sound as though it was in Japanese.

Her wails grew; why wasn't anyone coming?

Finally, hushed voices were able to be heard coming from a little ways away, and she had to strain herself to hear them over her loud cries. She couldn't help it; no matter how hard she tried to stop the tears and the screams, she couldn't. She was upset.

"I can't get her to stop crying," a man said quietly. "I've tried everything. She was fine until I put her down to bed."

A woman sighed, "You've tried rocking her? Swaddling her? Bouncing her?"

The man must have nodded to all of these suggestions, because the woman sighed again. "I wonder. . ."

Light footsteps could be heard now, and when they stopped, a woman was leaning over the cribs railing. Her vibrant jade crystal-like eyes looked down lovingly at the crying baby, then she smiled and reached down to pick her up gently. Even after she did this, the baby never stopped crying.

Yet, the woman continued to smile. With the baby in her arms, the woman walked a few paces and then gently laid her down again. The surroundings were much the same as before; dark wood bars surrounding her but a warm fleece blanket now laid under her. The same mobile gently moved above her, but there was something different and quickly the baby stopped her tears.

She turned her head slightly to be met with a face that could have been a mirror image of hers, if not for the eyes. The eyes were a bottle green-jade colour, while she somehow knew her eyes were amber with copper flecks throughout them. But, everything else was similar; the thick messy chocolate hair, the innocent glint that glowed in the eyes, and the warm smile.

The baby girl smiled, and snuggled up close to the other baby; wrapping her pudgy arms around him. He did the same, and quickly they both began to drift off into the same world filled with happy and endless dreams.

"Sou nee," a distant female's voice said. "I guess we can't ever separate them, ne, Syaoran?"

The male voice also became distant and foggy as the baby began to let sleep come to her. "I guess not, my cherry blossom."

XxXxXxX

A small bell rang joyfully as three young teens, a boy and two girls, stepped into the warmth of the small café-shop. The waitress on duty eyed them suspiciously, only thinking about their ages and school. It was the middle of the week, so why_ weren't _they in school? But, she sighed and kept to her own business. Hey, money was money. She showed them to a small booth by a large window and went to hand them three menus when the boy smiled warmly at her and shook his head.

"Can we just have three hot chocolates, please? With extra milk?" The emerald eyed boy asked kindly.

The waitress nodded, popping a small bubble with her bubble gum as she threw the menus under her arm and began scribbling the order on her notepad. She looked up to see the boy taking off his jacket and sliding into the booth, and then a girl with amber eyes did the same and sat beside him. The second girl, with bright blue eyes and was looking a bit more timid, slid into the booth across the table from the other two. The waitress popped another bubble and walked away to seat another group that had just walked in.

Akatsuki watched the woman leave, and turned to the other girls. An awkward silence quickly settled among the three; no one knew where to start. It would have stayed like that, if not for Tsukiko clearing her throat quietly and breaking through it.

"Gomen nasai, Akimi-chan," Tsukiko apologized quietly. "I didn't want you to get involved with this."

"Demo naze?" Akimi asked equally as quiet. "I was really scared yesterday. And we're friends. . . I thought we were supposed to tell each other everything."

"I'm still confused about all this, though," Tsukiko tried to explain. "And I don't want you to get wrapped up in this."

"But I am," Akimi kept her voice down, but set her eyes so they gazed into her friend's own eyes. "_Because _I'm your friend."

"We'll answer any questions you have," Akatsuki cut in. "We'll tell you everything we know."

Tsukiko nodded in agreement as Akimi shifted her gaze uncomfortably from one friend to the other. She was so confused; where did she start? How did she start? The previous night was all still a blur, and the most she could really remember was her own screaming voice as Akatsuki ran off to help Tsukiko in fighting this man. And there was a lion. . .and a winged man. She couldn't make sense of any of it, especially when Akatsuki returned to her and embraced her. He held her comforting, and told her it'd be okay. She knew it wasn't anything that would turn into something else but still, she smiled inside, despite the previous events. . .he embraced her.

The girl's sapphire eyes shifted nervously to the waitress eyeing them oddly at the counter. She began to fidget with her fingers in her lap; what if that woman called the school and reported the three students of theirs skipping? Akimi, being a good student, feared this the most. If her parents ever found out she was skipping school for the morning, they'd be furious. And the woman would have no problem knowing they went to Seijo High, what with the navy, white and sky-blue uniforms they were wearing. But, some part of her trusted Akatsuki's choice for coming to this café in particular; it was on the other side of town and small, so it was never busy. Besides, they'd be returning to the school for their afternoon classes. So it would all be okay.

Akimi sighed deeply and decided to begin her questions. She'd have to start somewhere. "I want to know everything, starting with that lion thing and winged man."

Tsukiko nodded understandingly, "Kero-chan and Yue-san."

"They're our guardians," Akatsuki explained. "Someone sent them over to protect us."

"Protection? Protection from what?" Akimi asked shakily. Then her eyes widened, and she didn't give either Akatsuki or Tsukiko a chance to answer; she already knew somehow. Images were becoming more and more clear from the night before. "From. . .from that man, ne? The one with the sword and dark hair?"

Tsukiko nodded, "Li Xin-san. We don't know much about him other than he's part of the Li Clan in China. It's this huge family that controls a lot of China, especially Hong Kong."

"Demo, your guardians. . .won't they tell you anything about him?" Akimi asked innocently.

Akatsuki gave a small, sarcastic cross between a laugh and a snort. "Apparently they made this promise to some Mistress of theirs. They won't tell us anything. We're pretty much on our own for that sort of stuff."

"Where are they now then? Anou. . .Kero-san and Yue-san?" Akimi asked as she saw from out of the corner of her eye their waitress making her way to their table with three mugs of the steaming liquid.

"Kero-chan went ahead of us to the school, to talk to Yue-san." Tsukiko announced quickly, trying to finish before the waitress completely made it to their table.

The woman rested a mug in front of each teen and quickly walked away. Akimi quietly thanked her, even though she had already disappeared back towards the counter as if she was super busy with customers, even though only five tables were occupied.

Tsukiko pulled the mug up towards her lips and let the warm fluid seep into her mouth and trickle down her throat, warming her up inside. A small smile spread across her lips. The chocolate was creamy and slightly cooled with the amount of milk put into it, so it didn't burn her. But it was made just the way she liked it, with extra milk and a dab of fresh whipped cream resting on top of the chocolate mixture. As she pulled the mug away from her lips, the whipped cream stuck to the top half of her lip, and she smiled like a child as she wiped it away with a swipe of her napkin.

Akimi didn't drink hers, though. Instead, she wrapped her small, cold hands around the warm mug and held it tight. She shifted her eyes towards the top of the bobbing glob of cream on top. She still had so many questions, and she wanted them answered.

"Anou. . .this Li-san person, why is he after you two then?" She asked.

Tsukiko and Akatsuki exchanged a glance to each other before Tsukiko spoke softly. "We don't know, exactly."

Tsukiko felt something sharp stab her in the stomach; she had not lied, but at the same time she had not told the whole truth. She had the vague idea — no, she _knew_ — that it had something to do with _their _parents. But if Akatsuki didn't know, she couldn't tell Akimi either, even with the promise she made to her.

"All we know," Akatsuki added, "is that it's not directly our fault, according to Li-san, Kero-san and Yue-san. That's all though. We have no leads, no clues, no nothing."

"Your guardians won't tell you anything?" Akimi asked confused, gripping the mug tighter. "Nothing at all?"

"Iie," Akatsuki shook his head, gritting his teeth. "They won't say another word, ne, Tsukiko?"

Akimi winced slightly; she had not known he was on a first-name basis with Tsukiko now. She tried to quickly mask her pain; she had already promised herself and Tsukiko that she didn't care for him anymore. But even though her mind said this, her heart screamed something else. Her heart still tore and hurt, and deep down she knew it was all a lie. Still, in her mind, it was none of her business how close Akatsuki and Tsukiko were. She didn't care; she couldn't care.

Tsukiko didn't hear Akatsuki, though; she had fallen deep into her own world since her last words to Akimi. She began chewing her bottom lip, a habit she was hoping she had dropped. She couldn't keep this up, and keep this hidden from the boy. She didn't want to keep information from him, especially this. It wasn't fair, and he deserved to know. Why did she promise not to tell? She gently scolded herself. She knew she'd never be able to hold it in. How could she!?

"Tsukiko?" Akatsuki's eyes hitched as he watched her deepen the chewing on her bottom lip. He became slightly angry and rose his voice, "Oi! Tsukiko!?"

"Hoee?" Tsukiko snapped out of her little world and turned to Akatsuki, slightly tilting her head to the side in a confused and surprised manner. Why did he raise his voice? She was right there; she could hear him perfectly. The volume in his voice had even slightly frightened her.

Akatsuki frowned at her, hoping he hadn't quite heard her right. Was that even a word? What the heck was that? But his frown quickly turned into an amused smirk, "Wh. . .what did you say?"

Tsukiko blinked at him, confused, as the last few moments of events replayed in her mind. Her eyes quickly widened a she recalled what she _had _said exactly. She quickly clasped her hand over her mouth; where on Earth had that word — err, sound — come from? She had never used it before, let alone heard it. What was going on!?

Akatsuki saw her panicked and embarrassed look, as she was now turning a light ting of pink in her cheeks, and chuckled. "Never mind. I asked you about Kero-san and Yue-san holding back information. They do, ne?"

"O-oh. . ." Tsukiko lifted her hand from her mouth and let her gaze leave his face and fall nervously into her lap, feeling the pang of guilt again. "U-un. . .I. . .they do."

Akatsuki frowned slightly, feeling that something wasn't right. He didn't say anything though and continued to worry in silence. What was going on with her today? She had been avoiding him for most of the morning now.

"Anou. . ." Akimi continued, trying to loosen the grip she held onto her mug with but found she couldn't. "You two have. . .I mean, you can. . .anou, you. . ."

"Can use magic?" Akatsuki finished with a small smile, receiving a tiny nod from Akimi. "Yeah, we can use magic."

"Demo. . .demo, there's no such thing as magic!" Akimi screamed into her whisper, making her voice scrape roughly in her throat. "That's make believe, ne? It's not. . .it can't be _real,_ can it?"

"Then what did you see last night?" Akatsuki asked gently as his gaze drifted away from hers. "Do you honestly think that everything was just a dream?"

"S-sou nee. . ." Akimi looked down towards the table as if ashamed. "Gomen nasai, demo, h-how does it work then? I mean, I thought magic was just supposed to be in fairytales and manga, ne?"

Akatsuki looked over to Tsukiko for help with explaining, but found nothing that could help him. The girl was staring aimlessly down at her half empty cup of hot chocolate, deep in thoughts that Akatsuki was beyond able to be reading. He sighed, and looked back over at Akimi to answer her the best he could.

"There are two main types of magic," he began to slowly explain in a quiet tone. "There's magic that is sourced from the power of the Sun, and magic that is sourced from the power of the Moon. My magic is powered by the Sun, while Tsukiko's is from the Moon."

"Demo," Tsukiko began in an almost toneless voice, still not looking over at Akatsuki. "Kero-chan and Yue-san have told us that our magic is incredibly strong, and if we work at it, our powers will one day split. This means we can control powers through both the Sun and Moon. They called that the power of the Stars or the power of the Skies or something like that."

"We can't split it yet, though," Akatsuki added as he looked worriedly at Tsukiko. "Magic stems from the powers you get the energy from. In other words, one who can gain power through the Sun like me can control the elements Fire and Earth, while —"

"People like me who's magic comes from the Moon can control Water and Wind," Tsukiko finished for him.

Akimi made a small 'oh' with her mouth, but no sound escaped past her lips. She nervously began shifting her gaze slowly from Tsukiko to Akatsuki and then back to Tsukiko, and began the pattern again a few more times. She chewed at her bottom lip while she did so as thoughts swirled endlessly through her mind. This was a lot to take in and understand, and she was trying to make sense of it all and put it all together carefully.

Finally, she took a deep breath, closing her large blue eyes as she did so. She spoke slowly and calmly, "So this is everything then? You two aren't hiding anything else, ne?"

Akatsuki nodded, "Un."

Akimi opened her eyes as he answered, and sighed softly as she placed a small smile across her lips. She let go of her tight grasp on her mug, and leaned back in the booth's seat, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. Her smile grew and her eyes glistened with mischief.

"Well then," She smiled. "I'm going to help you guys in any way I can."

"Nani!?" Both Tsukiko and Akatsuki shot a panic-stricken look towards the delusional girl and raised their voices to the same height.

Akimi only continued to smile, "I said, I'm going to help you two. I mean, I can't do anything magical or special like you two can, and I don't know how to fight that great. . .but I can't just sit around and do nothing when I know you two are doing this. I don't want to be left out of this and be abandoned and have to sit around and worry. I don't want to be left out of this, and I want to help in any way I can. You honestly don't believe I would just desert both of you once I heard this!"

"You can't!" Tsukiko exclaimed, her eyes staring straight ahead into her friends gleaming sapphires with all the seriousness intended. "You can't! It's — !"

"It's too dangerous," Akatsuki finished, his eyes glazed over with an even more serious tone than Tsukiko's. His fist tightened into a ball on top of the table's surface, shaking white with anger. "You'll get hurt. I won't let you."

"So?" Akimi smiled sweetly. "I don't care. I want — "

"But I do," Akatsuki cut her off sternly, his voice shaking with determination. "Li-san. . .he's just playing around right now, demo, he's trying to kill us! He's dangerous! And. . .and he won't think twice about killing you too!"

There was a sudden awkward silence, and many of the people in the small café had turned their attention to the group as the boy began to raise his voice. When they all realized the show was over, though, they slowly began to return to their coffees and conversations. But the silence continued, and the tension could be felt among the teens, especially between Akimi and Akatsuki. The boy wore a sincere concerned look, while Akimi didn't back down; she had a blazing determined glint in her eyes.

Akimi refused to be left behind in any of this for any longer, and she had already admitted that she didn't have any special hidden powers like these two; well, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. But she didn't care. She wanted to help. They were her friends for Pete's sake! Of course she was going to want to help, no matter how upset and angry she was at them for trying to hide all this from her.

But Akatsuki's gaze refused to lighten up, too. He continued to give her a concerned gaze for more than one reason and Akimi almost felt her breath stop momentarily as she locked gazes with him. It was certainly concern but, was that. . .fear? For her? No, impossible. If it was, is was merely because she was his friend and helpless.

"Iwakura-kun," Akimi spoke softly, wanting nothing more than to reach across the table and take his hand into hers. But she knew better than to make such a gesture; they were friends, and that would have made things totally uncomfortable. Totally. "You don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself. I _want _to be with you guys; to help you guys."

"Demo — !" Akatsuki began, but was quickly cut off.

"And there's no way you can stop me," She smiled and added with an almost childish quiet tone.

The boy looked into her eyes for a few more moments, begging her to change her mind. But it was useless, and finally he had to turn to Tsukiko for help but she was clearly back in her own little mind, fighting an unknown battle through her thoughts. He sighed heavily and angrily, running his fingers roughly through his hair.

He closed his eyes tight, then, he did something that shocked both girls, startling Tsukiko enough to bring herself out of the world in her mind that battled angrily inside her and gave him a concerning glance, which he didn't catch.

He laughed; a small laugh, but still a laugh even with these circumstances. While laughing, he spoke quietly to Akimi, "Well, we should be heading back to the school if we don't want to be late for our afternoon classes, ne?"

The two girls gave each other a concerned look to each other, both asking one another the same thing; since when did he just _drop _something like that so easily? Tsukiko shrugged and stood up to let Akatsuki slide out of the booth, since she was blocking him. The boy quickly smiled towards Akimi and ran over to the counter where their waitress was and payed for the three hot chocolates, which none of them actually finished. After he was done that, he turned to indicate to the girls that he'd wait for them outside.

Akimi turned to Tsukiko, still a tad red in the face, but ignored that and crossed her arms again. "Okay, spill. What's going on with you two? Did I miss something last night?"

"Huh?" Tsukiko asked, still a bit dazed as she pulled back on her jacket. "What do you mean?"

Akimi rolled her eyes and uncrossed her arms only to tug on her own jacket. "Oh, puh-_leeze_. Don't think I haven't noticed; you've been almost completely ignoring him! You won't even look at him!"

"Th-that's not true!" Tsukiko said a bit too quickly, putting on a huge fake smile. "I'm just tired from last night, that's all. Honestly."

Akimi frowned and let her gaze drift away onto the ground below her feet as a small blush crept into her cheek. "And. . .he's been treating you so nicely. He even called you by your first name."

Tsukiko felt her own heart drop for her friend. She had forgotten that part about the previous night and didn't even think about the effect this informality would have on Akimi. She silently cursed herself; why didn't she think it over!? _Baka!_

Tsukiko smiled and walked over closer to her friend. She gently took her friend's hands into her own and tried to reassure her by giving them a gentle squeeze and a warm gaze. "Akimi-chan, we're close, and I will admit that. But. . .it's not like _that_. Believe me, we could _never_ be together that way. We're close friends. I couldn't love him like that."

"Demo — "

"We're — err, probably close because of our magical capabilities. Magic users are attracted to one another, and that's probably all it is. We're. . .err. . .more like family, I guess you can say."

Akimi almost looked ashamed of herself, "I. . .it's not my business what your relationship is with Iwakura-kun, gomen ne. I know I really shouldn't care because he doesn't like me that way. Demo. . .I don't know, demo. . ."

"You still like him, ne?" Tsukiko finished softly, receiving a small blush and slight nod from Akimi as her response. She smiled and brought her voice down, and added a small squeeze with her hands of reassurance. "You don't have to worry about our 'relationship', don't worry."

"Gomen," Akimi apologized quietly.

"Don't be," Tsukiko chuckled. "Honestly, don't be."

Akimi opened her mouth to protest and say something else when Akatsuki reappeared in the building and began gently chiding the two about taking their sweet time and running late. Akimi, blushing violently, ran towards the door and slid out the door with Akatsuki holding it open, trying hard to conceal her face so he wouldn't see the vibrant colour in her cheeks. Tsukiko also went to leave. As she passed Akatsuki at the door, she quietly apologized to him without looking up. She had whispered it under her breath, and was hoping he didn't really hear her, but she still felt as though she had to say it. However, with his amazing hearing, Akatsuki caught the words clearly as soon as the small voice left her lips. He also realized her lack of eye contact with him.

Akatsuki sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again, adding to its already messiness, as he followed the girls out of the café.

She was definitely hiding something from him.

XxXxXxX

The jade-eyed boy looked down at his watch as he waited by a closed classroom door. He was becoming impatient, as he pushed his fingers through his thick mess of hair and leaned against the wall so he wouldn't be run over. No sooner than he did, the school's bell rang and the door banged open, letting a flood of students rush into the halls.

He stood by the seemingly endless stream of students, waiting for one person in particular. When the chestnut-haired amber-eyed girl finally appeared, he didn't hesitate to grab onto her upper arm and drag her away from the body of pupils. He pulled them to an empty doorway and opened the door, pulling them both into the deserted classroom.

"Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko scolded as she stumbled into the room. "What do you think yo — !?"

"What's going on?" Akatsuki closed the door behind him and approached Tsukiko. "What are you not telling me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tsukiko responded rather quickly. "I'm going to be late for my last class, so I'll see you later okay?"

She tried to walk past him, but he didn't let her. Akatsuki put his arm out to stop her from reaching the door and turned to face her again, his eyes looking down at her with concern. Didn't she know he was just worried for her?

"Yes, you do. You're hiding something from me," Akatsuki said sternly. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Tsukiko backed away from his arm and his begging gaze, and clenched her fists. Didn't he know if she wouldn't say anything, it was because she couldn't? "Akatsuki-kun. . ."

That was the only answer he needed. Akatsuki also clenched his fists, "So I am right then."

"Please," Tsukiko begged. "I don't want to keep secrets from you, demo — "

"I thought we promised to be open with each other and not keep things like this from each other," the boy pointed out accusingly. "Because both of us are lost."

"Please. . ."

"Does it have to do with Li-san? Either what he said to you or something of use to us, that Yue-san or Kero-san couldn't tell us? Or, better yet, did either Kero-san or Yue-san give in and tell you something? Did they!?"

"Please, I promised. . .Akatsuki-kun," The girl begged.

"Come on, Tsukiko," Akatsuki began to get angry. "You've been acting strange around me since — yes, I have noticed — since you talked to them last night, so something must have happened. You can tell me."

"Iie," Tsukiko shook her head. "I promised them I wouldn't for now. Please."

Akatsuki's eyes lit with fresh rage and angst, "You promised them? You _promised them!?_ I thought that's why were looking for answers on our own,_ because_ they won't tell us anything! And now, you're acting the same way!? I'm _sick_ of all this secrecy!"

A small hand tugged at the sleeve of his navy blazer, but he didn't look over to its owner. Tsukiko's small voice spoke quietly as she continued to look down at the ground and hold tightly onto the small piece of jacket. "I. . .gomen nasai."

"Please," Akatsuki's voices cooled down a bit as he softly begged her. "I can handle anything that you need to tell me. It's not like anything can surprise me anymore."

"I know. . ."

"Then please," He looked down at her and gently used his hand to tilt her chin up so she looked back at him. Her eyes shimmered with tears of frustration, not that she'd shed them. "Please, tell me. Please."

"Akatsuki-kun. . ." Tsukiko bit her lower lip and gently pulled her chin away from his soothing touch. She wanted to tell him; God knows she wanted to tell him. But she was sure that when he touched her she was going to start crying out of guilt for not doing so. A nagging battle broke out in her mind again; _**Tell him!**__ No, you can't! __**Sure you can. He deserves to know, and you know it!**__ But you promised Kero-chan and Yue-san.__** So what!?**_

Finally, she took a deep breath and put a stop to the war, and took a single step forward. Her mind was made up, no matter how wrong the conclusion may have been and how much trouble she may get into later. Right now, at that moment, it was the only answer. She had to keep her word, her promise, and nothing was going to stop her anymore.

"You felt it too, ne," Tsukiko began quietly. "That day in the forest, when we were hiding in that tree. When we went to kiss, it. . .it didn't feel quite right."

Akatsuki nodded, "Un. What about it?"

Tsukiko sighed, trying to figure out how to put her words together without the news coming out too dramatic, but at the same time revealing the truth without letting it come out as if she didn't care. She needed the right words and a way to explain everything just right. She sighed again; why was life so damn difficult!?

"We thought we liked each other, ne?" Tsukiko watched as the boy turned a deep shade of crimson and nodded. She continued, "We do love each other, Akatsuki-kun. Just not in that way. Neither of us understood it at first though, because neither of us could relate to it. Something attracted us together. . ."

"Stop speaking in riddles," Akatsuki said a bit too roughly, still very red in the face. "What are you talking about, in plain form please?"

Tsukiko took a deep breath, _This is it._

"There is no such thing coincidence — everything happens for a reason," She explained. "Us meeting; two beings with such powers, let alone opposite means by which our powers pull from and the fact we can both split our magic into equal halves eventually. You can't tell me that that's normal. Or us both having guardians, sent by the same person. Or even having the same man after us for apparently the same reason? None of it's coincidence, and it all happened for one reason or another."

"What do you. . ?"

"None of it's a coincidence," Tsukiko repeated. "Especially the fact that we're both orphans, no matter what you say about me and the people who found me. We were both abandoned by our biological parents."

Tsukiko tried to search his eyes to see if he understood yet. The green orbs told her that part of him did, but that he was maybe denying it until he actually heard it. She sighed and took one single step closer to him. She locked her eyes with his, hoping he'd understand her this time. God was he — no, both of them — ever dense!

"Have you ever noticed," She forced a small smile and hesitantly ruffled his already messy hair with her fingers. She had to stand on her tip toes, because he was about a head taller than her. "How much we look alike?"

Akatsuki just gave her a blank look for a few moments as thoughts processed through his mind. Finally, after what seemed like forever of silence between the both of them, he took a half-step back from her and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

He gave a small, nervous laugh, "You have to be joking."

"Gomen nasai," Tsukiko quietly spoke.

"Demo, you were raised here. I was found in Kyoto. That's miles from here!" He tried to say.

"Our parents may have placed us in two different places to separate us. I don't understand why though. . .Kero-chan and Yue-san wouldn't tell me that much," Tsukiko explained.

"So," Akatsuki began. "This is what Li-san told you? As his 'secret that our guardians didn't want us to know'? And both Kero-san and Yue-san reassured you about this being true?"

Tsukiko nodded, "Un. But now that I really think about it, it was sort of obvious, ne, I can't believe neither of us could see it."

Akatsuki gave a small laugh, "Un, I guess so."

There was a small awkward silence that settled between them, which was to be expected. It was odd, knowing that somehow they were siblings that never grew up together and had been tossed into this whole mess as one. How would it be from now on?

Akatsuki shifted his feet nervously, "So, do you know _who_ our parents are then?"

Tsukiko shook her head, "Iie, Kero-chan never let that slip. And Yue-san has lips too tight to even think about telling us that. Demo. . ."

She stopped, and her eyes glazed over. Something struck her, and the boy quickly caught this. He gave her a concerned look and recovered the space he had put between them with his previous step back, by taking a step closer to her.

"Tsukiko. . ?"

Her eyes suddenly shot up from the ground and she peered right back into his crystal-jade eyes. "You know how I said 'there is no such thing as coincidence; everything happens for a reason'?" She waited for him to nod in reply then continued, "I don't think it can be a coincidence that we just happened to meet in Tomoeda."

**TO BE CONTINUED**

XxXxXxX

**Again, I apologize for the lack of events in this chapter, and I know it seems really dull but it was necessary, believe me. Every little thing counts in the end. I have the next chapter done but I won't be posting it until next Friday or Saturday, because my exams are THIS WEEK (dies), and I have an exam for every exam-day! Oh yeees, I **_**looove **_**June (cries).**

**So I don't want to post two chapters, then have to leave you guys for over two weeks. I'm just going to space out the postings, that's all. But it's done, and being edited as we speak — err, write. : ) And I have the schedule up on my homepage again!! So please look at that for dates!!**

**A huge thanks to ****SilentCynara**** for offering to be another Beta for me! You're comments really did help me, and you caught so much that both Jade-chan and I missed. Thanks so much! And Jade-chan, thank you as well because I know how much of a pain I can be to go "and can you pleeease edit this asap?" XD But you always pull through, and you always do such a good job with excellent advice! (Hugs both Nara-chan and Jade-chan) Thank you both!! You two are awesome and I don't know what I would do without you guys!**

— **Rai**


	14. Chapter 13: Grave Findings

_**A/N — **__Thanks to my two awesome beta's, Jade-chan (Tsuki.Senpi) and Nara-chan (SilentCynara) for all your help with the past two chapters. Especially since I gave them to you guys literally only a day between each other XD Sorry! Lol. Thanks for sticking with me._

_And I am SO SO SOOOO sorry for this late of an update! I'll try and promise for it not to happen again! There was some difficulties with the editing process and missed communication and things. I totally don't blame anyone, far from it! If it helps, the next two chapters are already done. So it shouldn't be too long for the next two chappies!! smiles_

_**Chapter thirteen: Grave Findings**_

"You know how I said 'there is no such thing as coincidences; everything happens for a reason'?" She waited for him to nod in reply then continued, "I don't think it can be a coincidence that we just happened to meet in Tomoeda."

Akatsuki gave her a confused look, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Tsukiko began, half paying attention to Akatsuki while the other half of her focused on the thoughts pounding in her head. "What are the odds two people, brother and sister, find each other in such a small town? Why not one of the big cities like Tokyo or Kyoto? I just seems almost impossible."

Akatsuki quickly caught on and his own thoughts began to stir in his mind. He could already see where she was going with this. He nodded towards her, "So what you're trying to say is that this was planned but not quite seen? Like there's a connection with Tomoeda and them?"

"Our parents?" Tsukiko asked, confused by the fact he wasn't using the word, as if it were a swearing word. "Un, that's what I'm thinking. I mean, honestly, what are the chances?"

Akatsuki nodded and looked up at the clock on the wall. The bell was going to ring in less than half an hour. He turned back to the girl and frowned, "But even if that was true, there's no way to know for sure."

A small, mischievous glint suddenly shone brightly in Tsukiko's dark brown eyes. She smirked and shook her head, "Oh, yes there is. Watch me."

XxXxXxX

The two ran down the schools' stair quickly, Tsukiko jumping the last few steps and landing first out of the two onto the main floor. She raced through the halls, trying to find the hall she was looking for with her mind and heart racing along with her a mile a minute. Akatsuki followed close behind, only half hoping her thought was right.

Finally, Tsukiko stopped about halfway down a long hall that eventually led to the main office. She stopped, placing her hands on her knees for a moment to catch her breath as Akatsuki came up close behind her. When she felt her breathing ease, she looked around at the hall she was in and smiled over at Akatsuki, who was giving her an almost doubting look.

"This is it," She said. "And I bet you anything we can find at least one parent on one of these."

On both sides of the walls that made up the hall, were large canvases that held small oval pictures of each graduate from the school's previous classes. Each canvas had a different year of students, all with names under the photos. Tsukiko turned back to Akatsuki after looking down the hall again and couldn't help but grin.

"Watch," She told him smugly. "All we have to do is make some wild guesses at the year range they would have graduated. Seijo is the only high school in Tomoeda, so they have to have come here, ne?"

"One problem," Akatsuki told her, hating himself for bursting her bubble. "We don't know their names. You even told me that neither Kero-san or Yue-san told you their names, ne? Not including the fact you still don't know if they're actually from Tomoeda. You're just guessing all this!"

Tsukiko slowly frowned and looked down the hall again. He was right; that was the one thing she overlooked. Neither guardian dared speak their parents' names from what she could recall, so how on Earth was she supposed to find two people she knew nothing about? She continued to think this over, until something hit her. Her frown slowly turned into a smile, and the mischievous glint returned to her eyes as she turned back to Akatsuki.

"Give me a moment, I think I may know," She told him.

Akatsuki gave her a confused look, "How — ?"

"I don't know," She confessed honestly. "I just. . .think I do, okay? Just leave me alone for a moment, okay?"

Akatsuki hesitantly nodded, clearly still confused as Tsukiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to regain images she usually saw at each night, and calmed herself down so it seemed she was in a different world. It seemed to work, because shortly after she began ignoring her surroundings, she felt at ease and alone even though she wasn't. She was encased in blackness as a small scene began to play out in front of her eyes. Two people, a man and a woman, came into a view. They were leaning over a small cradle.

"_Oh, look, she opened her eyes! Isn't she cute, __**Syaoran**__?" The gentle woman's cooing voice said. _

The small scene disappeared and a new one came into view. One that confused Tsukiko because she had not seen it nearly as often as the other one. As a matter of fact, she only remembered seeing it once. But, she let it come into her mind and listened carefully. Her mind had to be showing it to her on purpose, so she would just have to trust it. This time, though, she couldn't see anything but she could hear everything perfectly.

"_Sou nee," a distant female's voice said. "I guess we can't ever separate them, ne, __**Syaoran**__?"_

_The male voice also became distant and foggy as the baby began to let sleep come to her. "I guess not, my cherry blossom."_

Akatsuki had moved a few steps closer to her when she drifted off to her own little world in concern, and was relieved when she her eyes fluttered open and her warm smile returned to her lips. He also smiled, more so because he was happy she was awake again.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Shaoran," Tsukiko quoted happily. "His name is 'Shaoran'."

Akatsuki scrunched up his eyebrows, not because he was confused but because he was partly doubting her. "Shaoran? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Tsukiko said happily. "Why?"

Akatsuki looked almost taken back, as if he would have guessed that she knew exactly what he was talking about. "Yue-san said that name, remember? When we were hiding in the forest. He was talking to Kero-san, trying to tell him that 'he' wasn't so bad. Don't you remember?"

Tsukiko slowly recalled that conversation, which only made her smile grow wider, "See? That goes to show I'm right! That has to be his name! So much for Yue-san never letting anything past those tight lips. Ha!"

Akatsuki shook his head, trying not to laugh. So, the infamous Yue let something slip and didn't realize it. And now, the two people that he didn't want to give this tidbit of information now knew. He then frowned, "What about a last name? Could you see anything about that?"

"Iie," Tsukiko answered honestly. "Demo, really, how common can the name Shaoran be?"

Akatsuki nodded towards her and followed her up the hall a bit to a small section they could make a guess at were the year-ranges their parents would have graduated. Tsukiko began scanning one class while Akatsuki started with a different year. With each passing row of students with their roses and grad-outfits, Tsukiko began to get more anxious and worried. What if this didn't work? Then what? They'd be right back where they started.

When she was near the end of her second class-canvas, Akatsuki gave a small gasp about two canvases away from her and began beckoning Tsukiko to come over to him. She did, and found him pointing towards a small oval with an eighteen year-old boy in it. His smile was large and warm, resembling Akatsuki's, and he had extremely messy chocolate brown hair and amber eyes. Tsukiko almost felt her heart stop at the sight. Then Akatsuki moved his finger to reveal the boy's name.

_Li Syaoran._

"He's a Li," Akatsuki said quietly. "Are. . .are you _sure _his name isn't 'Syaoran'? Instead of 'Shaoran'?"

Tsukiko slowly nodded, still staring at the small oval. "U-un, I would know even just looking at this picture." She turned back to Akatsuki with much hesitation, unwillingly to turn away from the picture, feeling as though if she looked away he'd disappear. "This is the man I see in my dream every night. The man with the woman and the baby. It's him. It's definitely him."

"Dreams?" Akatsuki raised an eyebrow. "What dreams? You never thought to tell me this, even after you were at my place and I had my dream?"

Tsukiko blushed slightly, "C-can we talk about it later? Please don't be mad; I've never told anyone, not even my parents. But basically, I think it's a memory from when I was a baby. Of m — our, parents."

Akatsuki nodded and looked back at the picture, "So you're sure then? This is him?"

"I'm certain."

"But he's a Li," Akatsuki repeated. "That doesn't add up."

"I told you before," Tsukiko began, also turning her attention back to the boy in the photo. "The Li Clan is so large, and it makes sense, I guess. Who knows, he may not even be a part of that Clan and just happens to have the same surname. But his eyes are so soft. . .He can't be like Li-san."

Akatsuki grunted as if doubting her, making Tsukiko roll her eyes. She focused her attention back on the picture and smiled; he was just like in her visions. Same hair, same soft eyes, same gentle smile. And she could almost hear his soft but almost husky voice talking to that other woman in her mind, _"She's beautiful."_

Tsukiko smile grew slightly as something warm flooded through her body; so this was her father. Her biological father. Something felt different, for some reason, being able to put a name and a face together this perfectly. So what if he was a Li? He seemed. . .different.

For whatever reason, her eyes began to drift away from the boy's photo and along the student's faces from other photos on Li Syaoran's line on the canvas. Near the beginning of the row, there was a girl smiling brightly with _brilliant, gleaming emerald eyes and beautiful honey-brown coloured hair that cupped her face gracefully. _

Tsukiko felt her heart stop; it was the woman from her dream. The woman she always heard talking so sweetly to the man and baby, always cooing gently at Tsukiko's baby self. She had such warm features. Her smile. . .her eyes. . .everything was so warm. Just like in the picture Tsukiko was looking at now.

Her body must have stiffened, because Akatsuki noticed something different with her when she stopped at a different picture not too far off from the picture of the Li boy. Akatsuki frowned, his eyebrows furrowing close together on his face, as he took a few steps towards Tsukiko.

"You alright?" He asked.

Tsukiko never took her eyes off of the photo. The scene she had not wanted to see earlier replayed in her mind.

"_Sou nee," a distant female's voice said. "I guess we can't ever separate them, ne, Syaoran?"_

_The male voice also became distant and foggy as the baby began to let sleep come to her. "I guess not, my __**cherry blossom**__."_

Tsukiko quickly looked down at the girl's name, finally snapping out of her daze. Before the name could register, a hand gently rested onto her shoulder making her jump back slightly. She looked up to see Akatsuki looking down at her, concerned.

"G-gomen," She apologized lamely. "Did you ask something?"

"I asked if you were okay," he asked gently. "It looks as though you've seen a ghost or something."

Tsukiko ignored this and looked back down at the name. She studied it for a few moments, then turned to look back up at Akatsuki. "Cherry Blossom," She repeated. "Sakura means 'Cherry Blossom', ne?"

Akatsuki looked at her like she was mad, but nodded and answered her question. "Yes, hence the name 'Sakura Tree'. It's the tree that has cherry blossom flowers budding off it. Why?"

Tsukiko shook her head slightly and looked back at the photo, and pointed it out to Akatsuki, whose eyes widened as well when he saw the photo. But Tsukiko missed this and continued talking to him, "This woman. . .I see her too in my visions."

She felt Akatsuki's hand slip from her shoulder and quickly realized he wasn't answering. She looked behind her to see him grabbing his head as if in pain, and closing his eyes as he stumbled a step or two back from her. He grunted in pain, as Tsukiko made her way over to help him.

"Akatsuki-kun?" She asked with concern. "Akatsuki-kun!?"

For Akatsuki, he couldn't hear her. Everything around him was already fading and his surrounding were suddenly exchanged with a dark and frightening scene.

"_SYAORAN!" The jade-eyes woman screamed as the door banged open and a man with chestnut hair fell to the ground, unconscious, close to her. She held two swaddled packages close to her chest and ran over to him, falling on her knees beside him. _

"_SYAORAN!" She cried out again. "SYAORAAAN!"_

"Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko called out again, bringing Akatsuki back to his actual surroundings.

His eyes opened, but he was panting heavily and a cold sweat had broken out on him the way it had the night Tsukiko had stayed at his house. Her large amber eyes widened with concern as he gently tugged away from the warm hand on his shoulder and walked back over to the picture of the girl, carefully studying it.

"You said you saw her?" Akatsuki said seriously. "In your vision?"

"U-un," Tsukiko approached him and stood beside him, still slightly shaken by his sudden episode just moments before. "Naze?"

"I've seen her too," Akatsuki informed her, not taking his eyes off the photo. "She's the woman who always screams and cries, and there's this laughter. Kami-sama, Tsukiko, the laughter is so cold. I don't think I've ever heard anything like it before. But it all makes sense now. The man she screaming for has to be that Li Syaoran-san person, and the two things in her arms. . .are us. . ."

"What are you — ?" Tsukiko began but didn't bother to finish since he was clearly not listening to her.

Akatsuki peered down at the girl's name, his eyes widening in an instant. The name was impossible, why that? It didn't make sense at all! Nothing made sense anymore. He re-read it four more times to make sure he was right, then got Tsukiko to read it out as well as if doubting his own eyes.

Tsukiko didn't quite understand why he wanted her to read it, but didn't argue. She looked back down at the girl's name and read clearly, "Kinomoto Sakura."

Akatsuki gave her this dumb found look and frowned, making Tsukiko even more confused. He sighed and looked back at the name for a split second before returning his gaze back onto Tsukiko. "Kinomoto? As in — "

"Kinomoto-sensei!" Tsukiko squeaked as she pointed slightly wide eyed at a figure behind Akatsuki.

Akatsuki turned around to see the tall grey-haired teacher standing behind him. He had such a warm smile on as he peered down at the two. He looked from one student to the next, and then rested his gaze on Akatsuki. He seemed not to care that they weren't in class, and greeted them warmly.

"Kon'nichiwa, Akatsuki-kun," Yukito said happily to the boy. "What brings you down this hall? I thought you had gym right now?"

"Yukito-san," Akatsuki began, slowly looking back at the graduating picture of the teenage girl.

Yukito followed his gaze, also settling on Kinomoto Sakura's photo. His smile quickly sank as he looked at the girl's smiling face, a small shadow appearing in his eyes. Both Akatsuki and Tsukiko caught this, and frowned at each other. Tsukiko had too soon realized where the boy was going with the girl's last name, and was catching on to what he was so eager to ask.

"Yukito-san," Akatsuki began to ask again after letting the man look at the photo. "Are you related to this girl?"

Yukito looked down at Akatsuki with sad eyes, a small shadow now spreading across his face along with the one lingering in his sad looking eyes. He didn't answer, and tried to change the subject. "I'd get to class, Akatsuki-kun, Nanami-san. I'm sure you're being missed."

"Demo!" Tsukiko began as Yukito turned around to leave. "You have t — !"

She stopped when she felt a warm hand slip into her own. She turned to see Akatsuki's pleading eyes and shaking head, begging her not to go on. He clearly had already thought of something, so Tsukiko quickly dropped what she was going to ask and he dropped his hand from hers. They watched as Yukito walked away and disappeared around a corner farther down the hall.

Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki, pain for the man showing in her own eyes, "He looked so sad when he saw her."

"They at least know each other," Akatsuki told Tsukiko flat out. "He said he married once, so maybe that's how. Maybe this Kinomoto Sakura girl had a sister."

"Couldn't _they _be siblings?" Tsukiko asked.

Akatsuki shook his head, "No, remember; Yue-san is Yukito-san. He doesn't have parents, which means he doesn't have siblings."

"But, how then? Kinomoto isn't a very popular last name, ne?" Tsukiko asked.

Akatsuki shook his head, and looked at Tsukiko with mischief now lurking in his own eyes. He pulled a piece of paper out from a notebook in his bag and quickly scribbled down the two names from the photos, then turned back to Tsukiko.

"I think I may be able to find out the connection," He smiled sadly. "Meet me by Penguin Park at seven tonight, and make sure Kero-san isn't with you."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko climbed out onto the thick branches by her bedroom window and carefully climbed down the large tree to reach the safety of the ground. The sun was setting, and an even cooler breeze was taking over the already cool day. She wore an olive-green hoodie-sweater with a plain pair of faded jeans, trying to keep warm. Tsukiko quickly looked up towards her window to make sure she wasn't being followed by a small yellow guardian; she wasn't.

She smiled and ran off towards Penguin Park to meet up with Akatsuki like he asked. When she reached the park, she found the boy leaning his back lazily against the slide's park; everyone in Tomoeda knew that slide, the one in the shape of a large penguin which explained why it received the name 'King Penguin' in return. Upon seeing her making her way to him, Akatsuki upright and smiled slightly.

"Were you waiting long?" Tsukiko asked as she caught her breath.

"A few minutes or so, don't worry." He smiled, then began walking back towards the sidewalk with Tsukiko hot on his heels. "How did you lose Kero-san?"

Tsukiko shrugged and began giggling to herself like a small child, "Kero-chan found the large box of sweets I keep stashed under my bed while I was eating dinner, and of course he got into them and ate them all. I think after his twenty minute sugar-high he just crashed," She gave a small smile then paused, turning to look up at Akatsuki, the mood on her face tuning back to serious. "So what's this big plan you have?"

Akatsuki frowned, "Every Wednesday evening, Yukito-san takes a walk down to the cemetery down the street. He never lets me come with him, and when I asked why he goes he simply said that he needed to pay his respects to lost loved ones. I didn't push it, because it was clearly an upsetting matter with him, but he has no parents or siblings, ne? I never thought it really concerned me though, because it was his loved ones and I didn't want to upset him with questions. But now. . ." He paused and looked down at Tsukiko, half smiling. "Nothing would surprise me anymore."

Tsukiko nodded and followed him towards the small cemetery at the end of the road and felt a cold gust of wind run up her back, sending a shiver throughout her small body. She shook, and hugged herself to stay warm. The surroundings were cold and grey even though the sky was full of radiant reds and yellows because of the setting sun. The place seemed as though it was it's own world, isolated from the rest of the street.

"You alright?" Akatsuki asked with concern as he watched her wrap her arms around herself.

Tsukiko nodded, looking around at the headstones with a trembling emotion flooding her body. She had been to and passed by many cemeteries, so why did she feel so different in this one? She lied, as another breeze flew towards her, "I'm fine, arigatou."

Akatsuki frowned, seeing her shiver again, but nodded as if he believed her. He looked a head to see a tall man walking slowly down the street the opposite way they had come, and quickly grabbed Tsukiko's hand, pulling her behind a nearby by tree. He pointed to the man, and gently pushed a finger against his lips to signal to her to keep hidden and quiet.

Tsukiko nodded in understanding and watched, carefully keeping hidden, as the man with glasses walked onto the cemetery's grass, a small shadow lurking on his face. He wore black dress pants and a white shirt, with a long grey coat that blew and flapped against the breeze. He held a firm grip on two bouquets of flowers that Tsukiko couldn't make out.

Yukito walked towards the middle of the valley of stone and stopped at a headstone that seemed to be right in the centre of the cemetery. The stone was waist-high and red, with engravings on the front, but it was too far for either Tsukiko or Akatsuki to see. To the left of that grave was an identical stone, yet Yukito seemed to be more interested in the first one. He sighed, and knelt in front of the stone, resting the larger bundle of flowers in front of him and the smaller bundle on the ground beside him, in front of the grave to his left; the other red stone. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, as if he were crying and sighed again.

"I can't believe it's been fifteen years already, ne? Fifteen years without you by my side, and without you to love," Yukito spoke softly and lovingly to the stone's owner. "You've stopped coming by, how come? Can't you see I miss you?"

There was a small breeze for his answer, making Tsukiko shiver again. What was with her? She continued to shiver this time, and felt Akatsuki place a ressuring hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him, but was sure she saw the pain lurking in his eyes much like her own. A pain that had no reason or understanding.

Yukito wore a sad smile, "I guess I need to move on, but it's hard. And part of me doesn't want to. I think you'd be proud of the two kids, too. You won't believe how much they're like their parents, and I think you'd like Akatsuki-kun even though he resembles Syaoran-kun so much. Then again, you always did seem attached to them when they were babies. I remember you always wanting to spoil them, and Sakura-chan would always scold you for it. . .telling you that you should adopt if you liked kids so much. Maybe we should have."

Yukito leaned in slightly towards the stone and gently kissed his two centre fingers, then lightly rested them against the cold rock as if to kiss it itself. He sighed again, and stood up with some difficulty, as if not wanting to stand at all. He closed his sad eyes and tilted his head towards the sky as a softer breeze blew towards him and made his thin strands of hair dance in a sad way. Yukito smiled a bit, as if to please someone else, and turned around to walk away, whispering to himself.

Tsukiko and Akatsuki stayed put until Yukito was out of sight, then looked at each other as if to signal one another that it was safe to move. Akatsuki led, while Tsukiko tried to stay a little ways back, but both stopped in front of the red stones Yukito had stopped at. Tsukiko looked down at the two bundles and smiled sadly; the larger bundle was made of a mixture of peach and cherry blossom, and the smaller bundle was nedeshiko flowers and cherry blossoms. She felt a lump rise in her throat for some reason.

Akatsuki cleared his throat and pointed towards the stones, "'Kinomoto'," He said quietly. "Both are Kinomoto's."

"And?" Tsukiko asked, trying to push down the growing lump of tears growing in her throat. "I thought we already knew that."

"Demo, Yukito-san doesn't have siblings or parents," Akatsuki repeated. "Which means he must have married into the family, ne? And he was talking to the one was if it were the love of his life. I've never. . .never seen him act that way. He was so sad."

Tsukiko looked back down at the stones, another gust of wind blowing down her sweater and down her back. "So you think that they're connected to the Kinomoto-san we found in that grad class at school?"

"Has to be," Akatsuki answered strongly. "It only makes sense, ne? I mean, why else would he have been that upset when he saw that girl in the photo?"

Tsukiko, still shaking, knelt down hesitantly between the front of the two stones. She gently traced the name of the first stone, then did the same to the second. The lump returned, and no matter how much she swallowed it didn't go away this time. The names seemed familiar, as if from a lost memory.

"Demo, they aren't the same two we found on the grad class," She said more to herself then retraced the names again, her fingers trembling more as she moved on to the next letter.

_Kinomoto Touya._

_Kinomoto Fujitaka. _

Suddenly, the dam in her throat broke and a small tear slowly began to roll down her cheek. Startled, she used her hand to wipe it away only for it to be replaced by another tear on her other cheek. She rubbed that one away as well, and that's when the tears began to move more freely and quickly down her cheeks. She slammed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from leaving her eyes, but couldn't.

There was a small crunch from a small twig that broke beside her as someone crouched close to her. Strong, warm arms wrapped around her and held her reassuringly. Tsukiko opened her eyes, only letting the tears flow faster, to see Akatsuki kneeling beside her and holding onto her warmly, with tears also rimming and slowly running down his own cheeks. Tsukiko wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him closer as they both held onto each other for comfort. She felt him bury his head into her shoulder, and she returned the gesture as she scrunched up parts of the back of his shirt into her fists.

Both shook, both cried and both held onto each other like a life line. Neither cared about the weird relationship they now shared, of being siblings and not knowing how to act on it. For now, they needed each other to hold the other one up. But neither understood why they cried, or why they felt the overpowering urge to be angry. They didn't know these two, so why were they so upset?

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki walked Tsukiko home, both with red and puffy eyes from crying. They stopped by the tree outside her window, and Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki, trying to put on a smile that quickly faltered Akatsuki caught this and tried to smile back at her, trying to reassure her that everything would be okay and work out even though he wasn't sure himself.

"Arigatou, for trying to comfort me," She smiled weakly at him. "I guess you have a huge wet spot on your shirt now, ne?"

Akatsuki chuckled lightly, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure I left a nice spot on you, too." He frowned and placed a light hand onto her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

Tsukiko sighed, "Un, I'll be fine. You?"

The boy smiled, "I'll be okay."

Tsukiko smiled and gave him a friendly hug, not knowing the reason why she did that herself. She turned her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Arigatou, for everything."

He smiled, "Hey, what's a brother for, ne?"

The girl quickly pulled away and looked at him seriously, "You can't tell Kero-chan or Yue-san that I told you that, understand? I wasn't supposed to, and if they don't find out it may play out to our advantage in the end."

Akatsuki nodded, "I understand."

"And we can't tell anyone else, either," She added. "It'd be too much of a hassle to explain it all. I don't even think I understand everything just yet, ne?"

He smiled and nodded, "Un, no one else is to know. You're right, it'd be way too confusing trying to explain it all. I'll keep my mouth shut if you do."

Tsukiko smiled, and quickly thanked him again before turning towards the tall oak tree behind her. A cold wind blew towards them as she began to climb the tree, only adding to the confusing and dreadful feeling they both still felt inside. Little did they know this was only the beginning of a longer journey that neither expected when the mysterious Li came into their lives. And this was only the tip of a very long string full of tears and questions.

XxXxXxX

**Okay. . .no flames yet XD This all works out, believe me. And I deeply apologize to Jade-chan who is STILL yelling at me for killing off her precious Touya-kun. (Hugs) You all love me; just remember that ; )**

— **Rai-chan**

_**Note to my Beta's**_

_**Jade-chan: **__Okay...you love me! Really, just keep saying that in your mind, okay? smirk You love Raina. . .you love Raina. . .but Touya IS dead, missy XD You can beg me all you want, but Touya sucks and he's dead! Mwahahaa! Okay, he doesn't suck, but he's still dead and that's that! Sticks tongue out Write your own lovey-dovey fic about your precious Touya!! Oh, and bloody well get going with the next chapter of 'Pure Eyes' or whatever you're going to change it to!! I wanna read more N-O-W!!_

_**Nara-chan: **__Omgosh! hugs Thank you SO much for the idea about Tsukiko mispronouncing Syaoran's name! I loved it!! Thank you so so so much! And yes smirks I'm keeping Xin very mysterious for now on purpose. You'll just have to wait and see what happens later _:)_Yes, I am so doing this on purpose! Mwahaaa!__And thanks so much; lol, I have to love the comments you put through it! I love them!! _


	15. Chapter 14: Pictures, Books and Clothes

_**Chapter fourteen: Pictures, Books and Clothes**_

Tsukiko sighed as she began fiddling with her lock to actually try and open it, and get inside her locker. The lock was being stubborn for some reason and refusing to open for her for whatever stupid reason. She had already tried her combination twice with no success, and by the third failure she groaned and rested her head against the cool metal of the locker with a small thud.

Now, what was really worrying her was the fact that Li hadn't shown himself to either her or Akatsuki for a week. It was as though he had suddenly stopped the attacks, but everyone knew that was impossible. He was probably just stuck in China with the Li Clan, or at least that was the only thing the two teens could think of. Of course, since Li had unexpectedly decided to leave them be, Kero and Yue had both agreed on taking the time to make the two teens practice like mad to grow stronger. Akimi always went with them to watch in awe of them practicing, and refusing to be left behind. She didn't do anything while there; just sit and watch attentively as they practiced as if they were being attacked or worse.

But with all the practicing, Tsukiko and Akatsuki hadn't found time to look farther into things they had recently found out; Li Syaoran, Kinomoto Sakura or any of the other Kinomotos and how they were all connected. It was frustrating, especially on Tsukiko's part; she just wanted nothing more than to end the whole mystery, all of it; the relationships, her actual parents and Li Xin. So because of the intense and extensive amount of practice they were undertaking, the two had no new leads or information.

Kero poked his head out from Tsukiko's tote bag and looked up at her with concern as she remained in the same position: with her head leaning against the locker door with her eyes closed in exasperation. He frowned, and gently moved over to the side of the bag so he could get close to the lock. He carefully turned the knob to the correct three numbers. It worked on the first try for him, and clicked open. He looked back up at Tsukiko and frowned more; she hadn't even noticed that her lock was unlocked.

"What s'matter, Tsukiko?" he asked with sincere care. "Does your tummy hurt? Are you sick?"

Tsukiko sighed and lifted her head from the locker, lightly smiling to see her lock actually unstuck, and shook her head at Kero. "Iie, I'm just tired I suppose. Nothing to worry about."

She pulled her locker door open maybe a bit harder than necessary, and mumbled an apology for no reason. It was an inanimate object; what did it care if it was opened roughly? She stopped, and gave a small confused look as she felt something flutter lightly by her legs and land on her feet. She looked down to see a small folded up note, and gently leaned over to pick it up. She opened it, quickly read it over and shoved it into her pocket. Kero gave her his own confused look, but didn't push her for answers.

Tsukiko gently pulled her tote bag up towards the shelf in her locker to let Kero crawl out and make himself at home. For the past few days, they had been trying out something new. Kero would stay in her bag only during classes, and during lunch she could spend alone time with her friends. So during lunch, Kero would stay in her locker. He had already made himself a nice cozy place inside the small room, complete with an old pencil case stuffed with tissue to use as a small bed or couch, and a cleaned out upside down tuna can as a table.

Kero crawled out and waited anxiously for Tsukiko to give him a small pathetic smile as she began rooting through her bag. She pulled out a small bento container filled with food, dumplings, and some mini yakitori skewers, and placed it onto the floor of the shelf. Kero grinned, and quickly threw off the lid. Tsukiko smiled as he licked his lips hungrily and grabbed a skewer from the box.

"I'll be back in half an hour then, ne, Kero-chan?" She asked as he placed his whole mouth around the stick and removed the meat in one swift tug.

"Mmm-hmpf!" He mumbled with a full mouth as Tsukiko giggled slightly and gently closed the locker door behind him. He had his own little flashlight in there, so the darkness really wouldn't matter.

When the lock was securely back on the locker's hook, and she knew it was safe, she sighed and pulled out the note from her pocket. She quickly re-read it before heading the opposite direction from the cafeteria. She made her way down to the main level as fast as her legs would carry her, and as soon as she was down the stairs she turned into the first hallway to her left. Halfway down that hall, she could see a boy leaning against the wall.

As Tsukiko approached him, the boy felt her aura and looked up. A small smile fell across his lips as he stood up from against the wall and turned warmly to Tsukiko.

"So you got my note?" Akatsuki asked.

Tsukiko held out the piece of now scrunched up paper and gave him a confused look "What's this about? Why the library?"

"There's something I need to show you," he explained with a small smile. "Demo, I can't remove it from the library. Don't worry, I told Hamamoto-san we'd be a bit late for lunch. She didn't seem to mind."

Tsukiko bit her lower lip nervously, "Demo, I thought we weren't keeping Akimi-chan out — "

"You'll understand in a moment," Akatsuki said quickly with an edge of fading patience. He walked towards a set of nearby doors and hauled them open, letting Tsukiko step inside before him then walking in himself. He led the girl towards a small table in the corner of the library, and took a seat.

Tsukiko followed likewise, and took a seat beside him, as Akatsuki pulled a thin book towards him. Tsukiko didn't catch the cover's name as he pulled it open to the page he had bookmarked with a small piece of paper.

Tsukiko could feel her eyes widen the first second she laid her eyes on that page. The book was obviously a yearbook from the school's past years, but the page he had opened to made her jump with joy and shudder with a coldness all at the same time.

The page had eight photos and at the top of the spread page was a label that read 'Seijo Couples'. The photo right in the centre of the first page, however, caught Tsukiko's eyes before the gleaming title and other photos. And the rest didn't matter.

In the photo, was an extremely lighthearted looking couple. The boy, looking to be in his late teens, was sitting down against a tree that Tsukiko immediately recognized as the cherry blossom tree in the very front of the school. He was smiling widely and lovingly at the girl beside him. He had thick, messy locks of hair, although their colour and those of his eyes couldn't be told from the black and white photo. One hand held a book loosely, while his other arm was draped around the waist of the girl beside him. She was leaning against his shoulder with her hand resting lovingly across his mid-section. She was also smiling brightly up towards the boy, her eyes holding a glint of innocence in them.

And even though the photo was only in black and white, every single emotion and tone could be felt through Tsukiko's entire body. They were clearly in love, there was no doubt about that. You could read it in their eyes alone.

Tsukiko gently pulled the book away from Akatsuki's grasp and read the caption under the photo several times. A small subconscious smile tugged at her lips, growing each time she read the small passage.

"_Li Syaoran (12__th__ grade) and Kinomoto Sakura (12__th__ grade) — the couple expected to be together even after Seijo. Rumors going around about Li and Kinomoto that they are already secretly engaged, although it has not been confirmed. One girl, a close friend, reported that Li and Kinomoto have been in a relationship since fourth grade; no wonder they've been voted 'Most likely to marry'!"_

Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki, her smiling quickly falling as she saw his serious look. She scrunched up her face, confused as she looked back down at the photo then back to Akatsuki. "So this is them, isn't it? Why do you look so upset?"

"I'm not," he somewhat lied. "It's just. . .this doesn't help us, does it?"

"Then why did you show it to me?" She asked half sarcastically.

"I was curious," he admitted in a low tone, "and I thought you might want to see it too. I mean, you're the one that seems dead-set to find these people."

"And you're not?" Tsukiko raised an eyebrow.

Akatsuki looked away, and spoke through a grinding jaw. "Nevermind. . .I just thought you'd want to see."

Tsukiko didn't push it any farther, even with her curiosity clawing at her insides like an angry stray cat. Instead, she looked back down at the photo, suddenly feeling warm again. She smiled, mesmerized by their love and happiness, as she ran her hand over the page as if in a trance. She turned to the next page, curious, and frowned when she didn't see them. Not that she didn't actually think she would; it wasn't like the school revolved around two teens. She slowly skimmed through the other pages, finding photos from classes, trips and dances.

She stopped maybe three-quarters into the book when she stumbled across the graduates final dance. The red gleaming letters read 'Seijo Prom — Good Luck, Grads!'. These photos were in full colour, and a larger photo caught her interest. It was a group of well dressed teens, and again the photo had a warm mood to it. Tsukiko quickly read the photo's description underneath it.

"_(From left to right) Sasaki Rika, Terada Yoshiyuki (teacher, Tomoeda Elementary), Mihara Chiharu, Yamazaki Takashi, Yanagisawa Naoko, Hiiragizawa Eriol, Daidouji Tomoyo, Li Meiling, Kinomoto Sakura, Li Syaoran; Close friends since Tomoeda Elementary, this group of graduates enjoy their final dance together."_

She smiled; the photo really had a warm feeling about it. Starting at the end, Tsukiko saw a girl holding hands with a man at least ten or fifteen years older than her. She had thick but dull brown hair that curled at the ends under her head, and the man holding her hand had spiky brown hair. To the side of them, was another couple. The girl — Tsukiko read her name was Chiharu — was leaning against a boy with eyes that were so narrow, they were like slits, and dark black hair. The boy held his arm lazily around her shoulder, gently rubbing a lock of her soft-looking brown hair between two of his fingers. Beside them was a girl with plain straight short hair and large glasses, but her eyes shone with mischief and adoration for the people around her. And then beside her was a boy, with dark neat hair and glasses. He was shoulder to shoulder, and holding hands, with a pretty girl beside him. She had long, curly lavender hair and almost purple eyes. She had her free arm wrapped around the arm he was using to hold onto her hand. She had one of the most dazzling smiles Tsukiko had ever seen. Then there was the girl to her other side; she had bright red eyes that dared anyone to take her on, and black hair placed into an elegant bun with loose hairs drifting in front of her eyes.

And then, finally, there was Sakura and Syaoran. Sakura was standing in front of him, while he had his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. She was leaning her head against his shoulder, and rested her hands on top of his. She wore a beautiful strapless emerald dress that reached only inches from the floor. Along the side of it were little emerald beads sewn into the pattern of a vine and small flowers. Syaoran wore a black suit and green tie, matching the girl's dress perfectly. His hair was still as messy as ever, as if nothing could tame it.

However, Tsukiko's eyes wandered back over towards the couple beside the red-eyed girl. Her gaze settled on the beautiful girl with wavy lavender hair and gleaming eyes. She wore a sapphire blue dress made of silk, the thin straps looking as though they were ready to slide off her smooth shoulders any second. The dress reached her mid-calf, and 'poofed' out just a tad with a crinkly underskirt._ Daidouji Tomoyo_; Tsukiko began chewing at her bottom lip. Why did that name sound so familiar? _Daidouji. . .Daidouji. . ._

"What's the matter?" Akatsuki's soft voice suddenly spoke, pulling Tsukiko out of her dazed world.

She pointed at the photo, "Well, for one, both are in here. Maybe one of these people still live here in Tomoeda and can tell us where they are! That's at least a start, ne?"

Akatsuki frowned, "You honestly think that will work? The girls in this photo are grown and are married, meaning they don't have the same names."

Tsukiko felt her anger rise, and quickly spoke in a harsh whisper. "Why can't you just think about the possibilities for once!? It may work, or no, it may not work! But it's worth a try! Why do you always have to be so pessimistic!?"

Akatsuki looked taken back, but quickly returned her angry gaze and matched her harsh tone, "I'm not being pessimistic! I'm being realistic! Honestly, how many of these people would have stayed in Tomoeda!? Just look at reality for once, Tsukiko!"

"Our life is far beyond being in this realistic world most live in, and you know it!" She hissed back, making Akatsuki fall back and not respond. Although his furious gaze lingered on her as she turned back to the photo.

Tsukiko quickly grabbed a scrap piece of paper from her bag along with a pen, and quickly jolted down each person's name in the order it was written down under the photo. She got to the girl with red eyes, then her pen suddenly stopped writing, her eyes looking down at the photo as if to re-read it.

"Akatsuki-kun," she began, forgetting their little quarrel only moments before. "This girl. . .she's a Li too."

Akatsuki quickly forgot about the argument and looked down at the photo. He frowned, "Yeah, she is. Now do you believe that these Li's can't be related? It can't be a coincidence. Even you said that nothing's coincidence, and it all happens for a reason, ne?"

Tsukiko nodded, "Un, demo. . .you have to wonder how they're all connected and related. I mean, this Li Syaoran-san looks so kind and his eyes are so soft. Even this Li Meiling-san looks nice, just determined. Li on the other hand. . .he just seems cold and arrogant. Even his eyes look frigid and foul."

"Just because someone has kind looking eyes, doesn't mean they are kind, Tsukiko," Akatsuki stated matter of factly.

Tsukiko cocked her head to the side, "What do you mean?"

Akatsuki grunted in an annoyed manner and without even looking up, he pointed towards a boy sitting at a different table quite a bit away from them. Tsukiko looked over his shoulder to see her ex-boyfriend, Kyoden Ito, sitting at a table reading a magazine. She felt something hard hit her stomach as she turned back to Akatsuki, her face ashen.

"That doesn't matter," she stated coldly not looking over at the boy sitting beside her. "I know the Lis in this photo are nice."

Akatsuki rolled his eyes and huffed angrily, "Kami-sama, you're just too damn trusting, you know that?"

Tsukiko ignored his comment and quickly scribbled down the red-eyed girl's name and shoved it into her tote bag. She pushed back her chair, maybe a bit too roughly, and stood up. She walked briskly towards the library's doors and pushed one open with a huge bang, then ran through the hall towards the cafeteria with Akatsuki hot on her heels, not knowing why she was so suddenly upset.

XxXxXxX

"Tsukiko-chan!" Akimi sang happily as she saw her friend enter the cafeteria. She stood up and began waving her over to the table she had saved, missing the frustrated look on Tsukiko's face.

Tsukiko put on a small smile and ran towards their table, taking a seat beside Akimi. She didn't want to take her anger out on Akimi when she knew it was because of their other friend. She ignored Akatsuki when he finally got to their table, as he took a seat in front of Akimi, and continued to smile at Akimi.

Akimi quickly looked over at Akatsuki and caught his confused gaze on Tsukiko, but she chose not to act on it. Whatever had happened while they were away, was their own business, and Akimi was sure that if they wanted to tell her they would. They had already promised her that nothing else was being kept from her as of the week before, correct? What else could be wrong?

Suddenly, Akimi squealed loudly making Akatsuki cover his ears. She quickly gave him an apologetic look, but didn't spend too much time apologizing as she twirled around in her seat and began rooting through her bag beside her. She pulled out a magazine with a beautiful blond girl on the front and slapped it down on the table beside Tsukiko and herself. Tsukiko quickly seemed to know what it was, but Akimi still felt the need to tell her.

"The monthly issue of 'Bishouji no Shintei'! I picked it up this morning, but you know how the teachers are with magazines; I was afraid they'd take it away."

Tsukiko also squealed, "I forgot it came out today!"

Akatsuki stuck his finger in his ear dramatically as if trying to show them he almost became deaf, and quickly smiled. He stood up and looked at them, shaking his head. "I'll leave you two to your girly-things then while I get some lunch, alright?"

He got no answer though, as they began slowly skimming through the magazine. He chuckled slightly, knowing he'd never truly understand girls, and walked off towards to line to buy some food. He was desperately in the mood for some pudding today, and was worried all the good flavors would be gone by the time he actually made it to the front of the already long line of hungry students.

Akimi sighed as she turned to a page filled with questions and answers from a male movie star that all girls seemed to keel over for, "The girl's Bible, ne?"

Tsukiko nodded, and also sighed. The man had a very well toned chest, and all he was wearing was faded jeans. He was sitting on a couch, his feet spread lazily across the sitting cushions. "It is! Oh, flip to the fashion section! My mom said we need to go shopping for clothes soon! Maybe I can get some ideas from in here."

Akimi laughed slightly, "As if! Do you know how expensive the clothes are in here? Most are designer clothing!"

"Hey!" Tsukiko playfully punched Akimi on the arm. "Let a girl dream, ne?"

They both laughed girlish laughs as Akimi turned to the centre of the magazine where they kept a section for the newest clothes and hottest trends. The page, in both girls' minds, was amazing. There were new jeans that slimmed down along your legs instead of flaring out like the regular boot-cut jeans, some stylish sweaters for the colder weather coming up and some fuzzy boots that were made to go over jeans.

"Sugoi!" Akimi breathed dramatically. "I _love _this shirt, ne? Look at the colours and design! It's so beautiful!"

Tsukiko gazed at the shirt Akimi was pointing to and found her breath catch in her throat; it was beautiful. It was an aqua-blue colour shirt that rolled off the shoulders elegantly. On the shoulder, were two skinny straps as if to help hold the top up, but both girls knew they was mostly for style. The shirt hugged the chest of the girl wearing it, then flowed out gracefully to her mid-thigh. A little pattern of small white flowers ran along the fringed bottom.

Akimi squealed for the second time in ten minutes as she pointed towards the small property box beside the shirt, "Oh, look Tsukiko-chan! You'll never guess who made it! No wonder it's so pretty!"

Tsukiko waited until Akimi moved her finger, then read the property box. In it was the usual; price, materials used, stores it was sold at and. . .

Tsukiko could almost feel her heart stop as her breathing suddenly paused. The company's name was, of course, also in the property box and the name made her blood run cold. Why hadn't she seen it before? It should have clicked when she saw the girl's name in the photo.

"'Daidouji Blossom Industry'," Akimi sighed heavily. "I _love _her line of clothing!"

Tsukiko didn't answer, and her eyes didn't leave the page. That's how she had recognized the lavender-haired girl in the photo, because the name 'Daidouji' was a name she had seen many times in the Bishouji no Shintei magazine. She could have mentally slapped herself; why didn't she see it before?

"Anou, Akimi-chan," Tsukiko looked up from the page with a small forced smile. "Who runs 'Daidouji Blossom Industry'?"

Akimi gave her friend a stupefied look, not believing the words that came out of her mouth. "You can't be serious, Tsukiko-chan!? How do you _not _know that! Daidouji-sama is a God, a genius!" But when she saw Tsukiko's truly confused and blank look, she sighed and continued. "I believe her name is Daidouji Tomoyo-sama or something along those lines. But seriously, Tsukiko-chan. . .do you live under a rock?"

Tsukiko quickly grabbed the magazine from the table, being careful not to lose the page, and yelled her thanks to Akimi before running off to find Akatsuki in the line of kids. Akimi watched, confused and dazed at her friend's fast actions, then sighed heavily before leaning against the chair as if feeling beaten. She'd never get used to these quick bursts of energy Tsukiko would get before running off. And if she did find something out, Akimi would be the last to know. But she wasn't going to complain; at least she was being told things now.

Well, most things.

Tsukiko quickly found Akatsuki and pulled him roughly out of the line, making him leave his tray on the counter and the teacher working behind the counter with a confused look as she held a pudding cup, not knowing what to do with it.

"Oi!" Akatsuki yelped, surprised, as Tsukiko dragged him far enough from the line so that other people quickly filled in his spot. "I lost my spot! Kami-sama, and that was the last pudding cup!"

"Oh, stop sounding like Kero-chan!" Tsukiko gently scolded. She pushed the magazine into his chest with a glint in her eyes. "I have something much better."

Akatsuki removed the magazine from his chest and looked at the page she had it on. He gave a small groan as he saw the girl clothing spread across the pages, "Tsukiko, I don't think I'm really into this type of stuff. Actually, I know I'm not into this type of stuff and I'd much rather have that pudding right now."

Tsukiko rolled her eyes and pointed out the small box beside the shirt Akimi and herself had been eyeing earlier, "See this name? Daidouji? She was one of the girls in the photo in that yearbook you showed me!"

Akatsuki gave her a look of disbelief, "Come on, Tsukiko. What are the chances that you just happened to come across that one girl in particular only minutes after finding that photo? And it could be another Daidouji-san, couldn't it?"

"See, you're always a pessimist! Never giving anything a chance!" Tsukiko hissed angrily.

"I-I am not!" Akatsuki hissed back. "I'm just looking at rea — !"

"Everything happens for a reason," Tsukiko repeated herself more calmly. "I know this is her."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko looked down at the small piece of paper in her hand with an address, then back up at the building she stood in front of. A small smile spread across her face as she twirled around to Akatsuki beside her. He seemed to be looking up at the building in amazement; it was so tall and full of large windows, like pictures of tall building called skyscraper he had seen in newspapers in America.

"This is it!" Tsukiko announced happily. "I'm sure of it!"

Akatsuki shook himself out of his daze, and turned back to Tsukiko, "Are you sure? That's what you said about the last place, and that ended up being an actual flower shop."

Tsukiko rolled her eyes and pouted slightly, "The roads were _one_ letter apart; Meiji Street and Meiju Street! Besides, I was in a rush. My parents don't want me in Tokyo at night, so I didn't take time to realize the mistake."

Akatsuki smirked and headed towards the door, "Well, are you coming?"

Tsukiko muttered something under her breath about Akatsuki suddenly turning into a worm and herself violently stepping on him, then ran to catch up with Akatsuki who had already walked through the doors. They quickly looked at a map of the building, realizing that the whole building (yep, all twenty five floors) belonged to Daidouji Industries, but that the Daidouji Blossom clothing part of the industry was located on the third, fourth and fifth levels. They jumped into an elevator to the third floor, not talking to each other in a childish way as they waited for the silver doors to open.

Once there, they were met by a huge open room with beautiful slate flooring. The furniture, such as couches and small tables, were elegant and simply breathtaking. Tsukiko lead the intrusion by walking up to the reception desk where a woman was sitting, a headset sitting on top of her wild and tremendously frizzy hair while typing on a computer. She didn't take notice to the two teens, even after Akatsuki began rapping his fingers against the white and grey marble desk, and quickly he received a menacing stare from Tsukiko telling him to cut it out, which he didn't.

Finally, beyond annoyed, Akatsuki cleared his throat ever so casually. The woman stopped typing in mid sentence, and looked up at Akatsuki, not the least bit impressed. Then she looked at Tsukiko, who was mumbling an apology for her friend's rude behavior while shooting an angry glare at Akatsuki.

"Yes?" The woman asked impatiently. "What is it?"

"I. . .anou. . .w-we need to see Da-Daidouji-sama please," Tsukiko spoke in a small voice. The place was huge and elegant, making her feel intimidate. And the woman wasn't helping with her eyes looking at the two teens as if they were the dirt under her feet.

The woman rolled her eyes and went back to her work on the computer, "Yes, well. . .everyone wants to see Daidouji-sama. Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no. . .demo — "

"Please book an appointment," the woman instructed not looking once up from her computer's screen. "If you book one now, I should be able to get you in soon."

"How soon?" Tsukiko asked a little more strongly

"In about six or seven months."

"Na-nani!?" Tsukiko eyes widened with amazement. No one could be that busy, could they? "That long? Can't I get in soo — "

This time, however, it was Akatsuki who interrupted. He had had enough of watching this woman disrespect Tsukiko. They had not come all the way from Tomoeda just to be shooed away and told to stand by and wait. Oh no, not him. He wouldn't put up with that. He calmed his voice so it sounded normal and cleared his throat, stepping protectively in front of Tsukiko. He ignored her baffled gaze and leaned across the desk slightly in a sexy manner. He shook his head slightly to make his thick chocolate bangs flick out of the way of his eyes.

"We will not make an appointment," he told her arrogantly. His voice was stern, but there was an odd twinkle in his eyes, mixed with anger and mischief. "We were told by Daidouji-sama to come out here! So we traveled all the way from Kyoto and now you're telling me we don't even have an appointment set up? I mean, I am sorry if we are ten minutes late but the traffic in this city is brutal and that is no reason to treat us with such poor hospitality."

The woman finally looked up, looking enraged by the boy's tone and words, "Excuse me, may I ask who you are?"

Akatsuki cleared his throat again, giving the woman an absolute appalled look, and turned to Tsukiko. She still looked baffled, so he winked to her, trying to ease her, and continued with his act, "I am so sorry, Nanami-sama. I am sure this is just some mistake. I'll fix it, just don't worry."

"Excuse me?" The woman craned her neck over the desk slightly to see the two better and frowned. "But who are you, if I may ask again?"

"This is Nanami Tsukiko-sama," Akatsuki stated boldly as he turned back to the woman at the reception desk, frowning slightly that she 'didn't recognize the name.'. "Nanami-sama? You know, Kyoto's hottest teen model? Kami-sama. . .don't tell me you haven't heard of her!?"

"No," the woman frowned slightly. "Can't say I have."

Akatsuki looked horror struck and angry at the woman, and turned back to Tsukiko who finally seemed to realize what he was doing. She returned the angry look, acting along with him, as he bowed slightly to her. "Again, I am so, so sorry Nanami-sama. I'm sure there was just some missed communication."

"I can't believe this," Tsukiko added in a serious tone, trying to play along. "I came all the way here, and now they won't even let me in?"

"Again, I am sorry," Akatsuki apologized again, trying desperately to hold in his laughter. He turned to the woman and shook his head, sighing heavily. "Will we seriously have to make another appointment? Daidouji-sama called us last night for this shoot and she said it was urgent."

"O-oh," the woman stumbled, blushing slightly as if embarrassed. "It's. . .anou. . .I'm sure she can fit you in then. I mean, if she called you here and all. My apologies, really." She clicked a button on her headset and cleared her throat. "Daidouji-sama, there's a Nanami Tsukiko-sama here to see you. A man claims you called them down here — "

"You calling me a lair?" Akatsuki growled angrily, not acting at all.

The woman ignored him. She continued explaining everything to the other person on the line, when suddenly her eyes widened and her face grew bright red from embarrassment. "I see. . .I apologize, madam. I'll send them in right now. My apologies."

She clicked another button then cleared her throat as she turned back to the two waiting teens. Her face was still bright red as she stood up and walked out from behind her desk. "I apologize, it seems I was mistaken. Daidouji-sama is waiting for you in her office. I'll escort you."

"See," Akatsuki turned to Tsukiko and winked again. "I told you it was just a mistake."

Tsukiko nodded, hardly able to suppress her giggles as she followed close behind the woman and beside Akatsuki. She looked up in adoration towards Akatsuki, smiling widely. Okay, so he could get on her nerves but at least he had a strong will and got what he wanted while she was quiet and timid.

"What?" He mouthed down towards her, his eyebrows hitching close together as usual when he was confused or upset.

"Nothing," Tsukiko mouthed back at him without using her voice. "Thank you."

Akatsuki smiled as he looked back forward to see the red haired secretary standing by a black door. She had her hand on the silver doorknob, waiting for them to come closer to her. He watched, overjoyed that he had actually made her so nervous, as she smoothed down her skirt and remained with the bright hue of red in her cheeks.

She cleared her throat and spoke towards Tsukiko, "Is there anything else you'll be needing, Nanami-sama?"

Tsukiko opened her mouth to say no and thank you, when Akatsuki spoke for her. He maintained his serious tone as he nodded vigorously, "Yes, actually. Nanami-sama would like a white chocolate latte with extra cream."

Tsukiko shot Akatsuki a death glare as the woman nodded and scurried away. He smirked down at the girl and shrugged wickedly as he calmly admitted, "I've always wanted to do that."

Tsukiko let a smile break across her lips as she turned the door handle and walked into the large office, Akatsuki following close behind her. The girl's mouth gaped open when she walked inside; it was even more beautiful than the reception area. Inside was a dark and long old-furnished wood desk with a beautiful leather seat behind it. The newest computer sat on the desk, with messes of papers and drawing utensils scattered all over the top of the wood. In front of the desk as a handsome black leather couch, and in the far corner of the room was a small artificial cherry blossom tree. All along the walls were pictures of models wearing specially designed clothes, and the light from the huge window at the far wall shone so wonderfully that the room didn't need any other lighting.

"So," a warm and calm voice spoke. "I know I didn't call anyone in Kyoto yesterday. And I certainly don't have anything urgent coming up. What can be so important?"

Tsukiko froze as she heard the woman's beautiful, soothing voice. She turned her attention to see a woman standing beside the leather chair behind the desk, her large purple-grey eyes looking over at the two teens with such warmth and understanding it was amazing she actually ran a company. She wore a soft pink skirt-suit set, the blazer only three quarters in arm length and the matching skirt reaching just above her knees. Her elegant lavender hair was placed into a very messy but pretty bun, staying in place with a white and pink coloured pencil. Around her neck was a necklace with a beautiful large silver and pink tear-drop shaped pendant, topping it all off.

Akatsuki nudged Tsukiko to move farther inside so he could actually step all the way in as she finally shut her mouth. Tsukiko moved farther inside, moving into the light's path, and cleared her throat as Akatsuki stepped in close after her.

"Go-gomen nasai," she bowed slightly. "Anou. . .we needed to ask you something, and it's really important. I-I hope we're not intruding, Daidouji-sama."

Suddenly, there was a high pitched squeal and a loud _"Kawaii!"_ and before Tsukiko realized what was going on, the woman was in front of them with an arm around both of them, holding them close to her and jumping up and down.

Tsukiko looked over to Akatsuki, looking panic stricken as the woman continued to hug the two teens. But when she looked for assistance from him, he looked like he was just as much at a loss as she was.

The woman finally pulled away, keeping a hand on both of their shoulders. She smiled deeply and lovingly at the two, taking in every feature of their faces. Her eyes danced with new hope, looking like she was about to explode. Finally, after Tsukiko and Akatsuki had exchanged another confused glance, the woman's smile deepened as she pulled them into a less dramatic and more affectionate hug.

"I knew I'd find you someday," she whispered into their ears. "But why did I have to wait fifteen years?"

XxXxXxX

**See? I told you; have faith in me! Tomoyo-chan is in the story!! Haha XP none believers! I didn't forget about the ol' gang. But, I guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter to see what Tomoyo-chan's role really is (smirks evilly)**

**So like I said in my profile, my wonderful little sisters have messed up my keyboard. I've got my backup computer working. . .but it doesn't work nearly as well as my other. Still, I'll try and update on time (smiles).**

**Oh, and I've had more than one person ask why I never refer to the twins by 'her brother' or 'his sister' in my writing, and why it's still 'his/her/their friend'. Answer; that's just how they think of each other still — friends. Seriously, I don't think in real life people would all the sudden start referring to someone as 'brother' or 'sister' if they haven't known each other for all those years, ne?? (smirks) And another thing, no — Akimi-chan does NOT know about them being related! Mwahahaa!! **


	16. Chapter 15: Keeping the Dark

_**Chapter fifteen: Keeping the Dark**_

Tomoyo's smile deepened as she pulled them into a less dramatic and more affectionate hug.

"I knew I'd find you someday," she whispered into their ears. "But why did it have to be fifteen years?"

Again, she pulled away but this time she folded her hands together and set them in her lap. She smiled widely and warmly towards the two teens, feeling excitement, real excitement, for the first time in fifteen years.

Akatsuki and Tsukiko exchanged a nervous and confused glance to each other, before Tsukiko finally spoke up. "Hoee? Do we. . .gomen nasai, demo. . .do we know you?"

Tomoyo squealed again, "Kawaii! _Just _like Sakura-chan! You two probably don't remember me. I was a good friend of your parents, Daidouji Tomoyo. Actually, I practically grew up with them!"

"Our parents?" Akatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow, not believing the fact that Tsukiko's presumption had actually been right. "How do you know we're related to these two friends of yours?"

Tomoyo giggled, "Now, really. . .it doesn't take a genius to realize you two are Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun's children! You look so much like them! Especially you, Akatsuki-kun. You look just like Syaoran-kun. Well, except for the eyes. You have Sakura-chan's eyes. And then you, Tsukiko-chan, look almost like Sakura-chan when she was little! Same face and fine hair. . .but your eyes and hair colour are definitely Syaoran-kun! _Kawaii! _You two are just how I'd imagined you'd grow up!"

Tsukiko looked hard at Tomoyo, "How do you know our names?"

Tomoyo looked taken back, "I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't even know my friends childrens' names. It's what your parents named you, ne?"

"Demo," Akatsuki began. "When they abandoned us, wouldn't other people have renamed us?"

Tsukiko looked at him wide-eyed and shook her head. He easily read her eyes; _there is no such thing as coincidence._

Tomoyo's kind eyes suddenly lost their warmness as she quickly became angry, "Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun did _not _abandon you, you hear me? Don't ever say that! You don't know what happened! They only did it to protect you both; and it tore them apart! Don't ever, _ever, _say they just abandoned you."

Akatsuki quickly mumbled an apology; when he did, the woman's eyes regained their warmth and kindness. She quickly took each of their hands and led them towards the couch, begging them to take a seat. Reluctantly, they did as Tomoyo dragged her chair out from behind her desk so that it was resting in front of the two kids. She sat in it and leaned forward towards them, her smile not once faltering.

"I always wondered what happened to you both," Tomoyo admitted quietly. "Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun never told me where they hid you, and I was told I couldn't. . .and shouldn't. . . try and find you."

"Daidouji-sama — " Tsukiko began but was quickly cut off by Tomoyo's sharp gasp.

"None of that!" She gently chided. "I will not have my niece and nephew calling me by such a formal name! My name is 'Tomoyo'. And not so much formality, please!"

"Anou. . .To-Tomoyo-san?" Tsukiko began, waiting for her response. When the woman smiled even more, Tsukiko relaxed a bit and continued. "What happened then? Kero-chan and Yue-san won't tell us anything, so we were sort of hoping you could help us."

"Kero-chan and Yue-san are in Japan, too?" She asked excitedly. "Kawaii! I haven't seen Kero-chan in some time either! Oh my, I bet he still eats a lot, ne?"

Akatsuki smiled and nodded, on the verge of laughing as Tsukiko blushed slightly and nodded gently, "U-un, Akatsuki-kun think's he's a gluttonous pig."

Tomoyo laughed, "Ah, so much like your father, Akatsuki-kun. He also thought Kero-chan was a gluttonous pig. Then again. . .they never really got along to begin with."

"Demo. . ." Tsukiko began again after exchanging a glance with Akatsuki, "Demo, what happened then? Why did they leave us, if they didn't 'abandon' us? You know, Tomoyo-san, don't you?"

A sad shadow suddenly came over Tomoyo's eyes, their happiness being hidden by her dark bangs. She slowly shook her head as sad memories rushed back into her mind. She had made a promise long ago to her best friend, and at the time she didn't understand the reasons behind anything Sakura and Syaoran did. Heck, some of it she still couldn't understand.

"Everything was explained vaguely to me," Tomoyo admitted in a hushed voice. "I wasn't told they even left Nihon until a few days after they were back in China. . ."

"So they're in China?" Akatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice strong and demanding.

Tomoyo's head shot up, and her smile had returned but it was different. It was forced. She gently shook her head, "No, I honestly don't know what I was talking about. Do you want anything to drink? Some tea, perhaps?"

Tsukiko caught on to her trying to change the subject, and saw Akatsuki tense up from the corner of her eye. Was it possible Tomoyo had promised, like Kero and Yue, that she wouldn't say anything to the twins? With this thought, she became somewhat annoyed and pushed on. "Where in China? Hong Kong, with the rest of the Li Clan?"

"What am I saying?" Tomoyo laughed slightly. "You both are Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun's children! You will most certainly not want tea, I am sure. What about hot chocolate? Yes? Alright then, I shall go get some for you both."

"Demo — " Both Tsukiko and Akatsuki began, but Tomoyo was quick and before they could finish their sentence she was out of the room to get them all something to drink. They looked to each other with the same confused gaze.

Tsukiko watched Akatsuki ball up his fists angrily and turn his eyes away from her. "She's hiding something."

"Iie," Tsukiko replied with a sigh. She stood up and crossed her arms close to her chest, then began slowly pacing the room. "I don't think she's really hiding something, but she seems not able to tell us. Like she doesn't completely know herself."

"Oh come on, Tsukiko!" He raised his voice slightly. "There you go again; being all trusting. There are actually bad people in the world you know."

Tsukiko ignored him, but with difficulty, and turned away from him to walk around more freely. She walked over to the desk and stood behind it, smiling to herself once she saw the materials and belongings on the desktop. There was, as one might imagine, everyday designer needs like sketch books full of new and old ideas, some loose-leaf papers with sketches being worked on and many scattered pencils and other drawing supplies. The desk was messy, to put it bluntly, but at the same time you could tell that Tomoyo knew her way around her area at least. The newest computer on the market was turned off, and beside the keyboard were three framed photos.

Tsukiko tried to pry her eyes away from the photo's; after all, they were the cause to why Tsukiko and Akatsuki were with Tomoyo and quickly becoming frustrated with the little answeres they were receiving, but found she couldn't. The first photo was of Sakura and Syaoran, both holding a swaddled infant each. Syaoran held a baby wrapped in a cherry blossom pink blanket, while Sakura held the baby wrapped in a forest green blanket. She smiled, knowing that the two infants could only be her and Akatsuki and continued on to the next photos.

The second photo was of a different baby, maybe six or eight weeks old. It was a little girl, lying awake in a yellow bedded crib. She wore purple sleepers with a large white flower on the chest. The baby girl had soft blue eyes, not as bright as sapphires but more of a soft sea blue, and lavender fuzz starting to grow on her tiny, pale head. She smiled a toothless grin up at the camera.

The last photo, however, was the one that struck Tsukiko the most. In the photo was a man sitting on a swing, with Tomoyo sitting sideways in his lap. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. The man had dusty blue eyes that laid behind large glasses and messy — but not as messy as Syaoran's or Akatsuki's — hair that was the colour of midnight. He was holding Tomoyo by the waist, careful so she wouldn't fall, and looking at the camera with nothing but love for the girl in his lap. The man, Tsukiko realized quickly, was the same boy holding hands with Tomoyo in the photo from the yearbook.

She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, careful not to rip it as she unfolded it, and looked down at the group of teens then back at the couple's photo. Looking more closely, she could just make out the ring on Tomoyo's left hand.

"Where'd you get that?" Akatsuki asked from behind her.

Tsukiko jumped, not realizing he had joined her at the desk and saw him looking down at the paper in her hands. "I photocopied it at school, why?"

Akatsuki grumbled an answer about her being stupid and walked back over to the couch, plopping back into his seat with a large sigh. Tsukiko stuck her tongue out at him in a childish way, and turned her attention back to the photos. The man with the blue eyes seemed odd to her, like there was more to him. His eyes pulled the viewer in; they were strangely hypnotic, and an odd feeling she got when looking at his face that she just couldn't describe other than she didn't feel it with the other people in the photos.

The door clicked open and Tomoyo stepped in with a large smile, carrying a tray with hot water, some milk and hot chocolate packets. She set them down at her desk, and quickly made three cups, one of which she handed to a reluctant Akatsuki. She smiled, walked over to Tsukiko to hand her a mug then walked around behind her desk where the girl stood. They both looked down at the photos.

"Is that your husband?" Tsukiko asked with a small smile at Tomoyo.

"Tsukiko!" Akatsuki gasped.

Tomoyo laughed an odd 'oh ho ho' and let her gaze rest on the boy, "Do not worry about it. I honestly don't mind," She turned back to Tsukiko with a friendly smile and nodded. "Yes, that's my Eriol. We got together right before we left high school."

Tomoyo caught sight of the paper in Tsukiko's hand and smiled even more, gently taking it from her and looking at it longingly. "And I suppose this is how you found me, ne?"

Tsukiko nodded, "Hai, I came across the photo in an old year book from Seijo, and since you have advertisements all around. . ." Tsukiko stopped and gave Tomoyo a confused gaze. "Demo, if you're married why is your name and company still under 'Daidouji'?"

Tomoyo laughed, "Eriol really is a sweet guy. When we got engaged, he refused to let me change my name, and he took Daidouji as his name. I told him it was no problem for me to change my name, but this company has expanded and been in my family for seven generations now. . .so he didn't want to change anything with it or it's heir."

Tsukiko sighed, "He sounds nice."

Akatsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Women. . ."

Tomoyo giggled and continued, "Yes, there were so many people wanting Eriol and I to get together, including Sakura-chan and, well, later, Syaoran-kun. . .but we never really saw anything. Until about a month before that huge prom dance, at least. He bumped into me one night when I broke up with my boyfriend, and I was upset so he treated me to some ice-cream. I guess that's when we realized that everyone was right and we really should try and give it a whirl."

"That's so sweet!" Tsukiko squealed, then sighed heavily. "I wish I had someone like that. Eriol-san sounds lovely."

"You will," Tomoyo reassured. "Are you telling me you've never had a boyfriend before?"

Akatsuki choked on the mouthful of hot chocolate he was swallowing and began to cough. Tsukiko shot him an angry glare as her eyes clouded over with not so fond memories. She looked up sorrowfully at Tomoyo with a sad smile.

"Sou nee. . .I've had one, d-demo, he wasn't very nice. . ." she spoke quietly, feeling somewhat ashamed. She began fidgeting with her fingers folded close to her body.

Tomoyo sighed, "That's too bad, Tsukiko-chan. Demo, don't give up. I'm sure you'll be alright, and you'll find your perfect guy. It just takes longer than others sometime. Honestly, you should have seen your parents; it seemed as though Syaoran-kun hated Sakura-chan for the first trimester he was in Japan! Ohohoho. . .it was the most _kawaii _thing I've ever seen!"

Tsukiko forced a small smile, comforted by Tomoyo's reassuring words. But when she saw the photo of Sakura and Syaoran in her mind, from the couples page in the years book. She just couldn't see one actually hating the other. Their eyes were so full of nothing but adoration for one another, and there looked as though there was no time when that was different. They were just so in love, it was written all over their faces. It was impossible to picture it differently, wasn't it?

Tomoyo sighed, daydreaming about the past. "This photo really was one of the last times we were all together. Naoko-chan moved to America, to get a job in Hollywood and Rika-chan moved to France with Terada-sensei not long after they married. Meiling-chan went back to Hong Kong for university along with Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan. I think the only two that really stayed in Nihon was Chiharu-chan and Yamazaki-kun. . .they married a few years after graduation, and I believe they still live in Tomoeda. Their little girl is cute. Hotaru-chan, I believe her name is. Oh, she is so sweet. . ."

Tomoyo's eyes suddenly glazed over as a small mischievous glint rested inside her brightly lit up eyes, "You know, only Eriol and I knew, but when this photo was taken. . .Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan were already engaged. It took Touya-san everything to stop himself from killing Syaoran-kun when he asked for Sakura-chan's hand in marriage. . .and neither side of the family wanted to actually pronounce them actually engaged until after they finished university."

Akatsuki was the only one of the two that seemed to catch her flaw, and cleared his throat to speak up. He could have yelled at Tsukiko for becoming so dazed with these stories, and not pay attention to Tomoyo, but he'd just scold her later. He waited for the two to look at him before speaking, "Tomoyo-san. . .who was Touya?"

The little colour in Tomoyo's face drained, "Why?"

"We found his grave," Akatsuki explained. "Along with a Kinomoto Fujitaka-san. We think they were related to Sakura-san. Can you please, _please_ tell us what happened?"

Tomoyo frowned; why did he call his mother by her first name? She didn't say anything though and let the sad gloss settle into her eyes again, "I really. . .don't know. When Sakura-chan got pregnant, Syaoran-kun wanted to move back to Nihon so he expanded the Li Corp into Nihon so they had a reason to stay. I knew something was wrong, demo, I was really kept in the dark. I didn't know anything until you two were about a month old and then suddenly they were gone. Eriol knew, and he explained it to me when they left. . .demo, other than a final phone call from Sakura-chan a few days after they disappeared. . ." she shook her head sadly. "She phoned me, deeply apologizing and begging Eriol to tell me everything since she couldn't. I never really heard from her after. Eriol told me it was for safety. . .demo, it still hurt."

"Then what about the other two Kinomotos?" Akatsuki asked gently, suddenly feeling guilty for making Tomoyo remember such painful memories.

Tomoyo shook her head, "I don't really know about that, either. There was a plane crash. . .that's all I know, because I saw it on the news. I remember Eriol being enraged, though. . .and punching the wall. For some reason, he blamed himself partly for their deaths, no matter how much I told him it wasn't his fault."

Suddenly, tears began to leave her glistening violet eyes and slowly roll down her pale cheeks. Once she realized she was crying, the dam broke and the water flowed like an endless river. She brought the back of her hand up to her mouth, and pressed her wrist against the lips, trying to stop the tears. She was supposed to be the strong one; the all-knowing one and observant one. So why didn't she see what was wrong before they left? Why didn't she ask more questions? And why, oh God why, was she still crying after fifteen years? It still hurt like it all happened only the day before. Why?

Tsukiko and Akatsuki exchanged sad glances, both suddenly feeling the woman's pain. Akatsuki looked away, ashamed and at lost for words to say. Tsukiko turned back to the upset woman, and took three steps closer to her. She set her mug of now-cooled-down hot chocolate and wrapped her arms around the small woman's body. The woman returned the gesture, and began sobbing into Tsukiko's shoulder.

"Shh," Tsukiko closed her eyes and tried to calm her as she stroked Tomoyo's soft long hair gently. "Everything will be alright, so please don't cry Tomoyo-san. Please. . ."

Tomoyo smiled between her sobs, only letting the tears slow down without ceasing. "You don't realize how much you're like your parents; both of you."

Tsukiko smiled sadly and gently pulled away. She led Tomoyo to the large leather chair only steps away from them and helped her sit down, then handed her a box of tissues on the desk. Tomoyo gratefully took one and dabbed her tears away in an elegant fashion. She forced a small smile up at Tsukiko, and took the girls hand into her own.

"Please," she said gently. "I am sorry I wasn't much help. I know it's frustrating, but please. . .do you think you could come and see me sometimes?" She turned to Akatsuki with pleading eyes. "Both of you? Please?"

Tsukiko smiled and squeezed Tomoyo's hand in her own and smiled widely, not realizing how much her smile reminded Tomoyo of Sakura's beautiful smile. "Of course!"

Tsukiko leaned down and quickly hugged Tomoyo before walking over to Akatsuki, the soft smile still spread across her lips. Unexpectedly, she reached out her hand to help Akatsuki to his feet. He smiled back, not too sure of her sudden actions, and mumbled a thanks as he stood up beside Tsukiko. He turned to Tomoyo, her eyes still big and red from crying so hard, and also smiled.

"We'll come visit you again," Akatsuki assured her with a nod of his head. "Don't worry."

Tomoyo smiled as they made their way to her door to leave. "Just tell Mimiko-san out there who you _really _are, next time. I'm sure she'll let you in from now on. And if I think of anything else. . .I'll tell you, ne? Write down your numbers on a piece of paper, and I'll give you my numbers."

Tomoyo rushed over to them as they waited by the door, and handed each other them a piece of small paper. Each scribbled down their numbers, then handed them to her. Tomoyo handed them a business card each, and on the back was her home number.

Tsukiko smiled and nodded and Akatsuki opened the door for them, "Un! Arigatou gozaimasu!"

Tsukiko stepped out into the hall before Akatsuki and began walking back towards the reception area with Akatsuki walking briskly beside her. Despite the fact they knew nothing new, she was smiling her hardest. All those stories just made the mysterious Kinomoto/Li Sakura and Li Syaoran just more real to her, as if she had really known them all her life.

They were walking past the receptionists desk when the woman jumped up with a large paper coffee cup. She ran over to Tsukiko before they got to the elevator and handed her the cup, trying to smile.

"Gomen nasai, demo, Daidouji-sama and you seemed to be very busy, so I didn't want to bug you," the woman smiled sweetly.

Tsukiko cocked her head to the side, very confused indeed, "What is it?"

The woman looked taken back, "It's the white chocolate latte with extra cream that you asked for."

Akatsuki had to suppress the huge urge he had to suddenly start laughing loudly and hysterically as Tsukiko blushed and mumbled a thank you before hurrying into the elevator.

XxXxXxX

Tomoyo watched as they gently left the room. She waited until her secretary called her to say that the two young teens had left before she sighed and leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes in an exhausted manner, asking Mimiko to cancel her appointments for the rest of the day. A single, perfect tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the day they had disappeared.

It had been one of two of the worst days of her life.

"_Eriol!" Tomoyo screamed hysterically, slamming down the phone and running for her husband who was in the kitchen. "Eriol! I know something's happened to them! I can't reach their house or their cell phones!"_

_Eriol put his mug of hot coffee on the kitchen's pale yellow counter and looked at his wife through his glasses with sincere concern. "Are you sure? Maybe they just stepped out."_

"_My intuition has never failed me," she told him straight out. "And if they were out, they would have brought their cell phones. Please, Eriol. . .I know something happened!"_

_Eriol sighed, and took Tomoyo into his arms as she began to gently cry. He soothingly ran his hand along her back and began whispering calming words into her ear, "If something did happen, you know they'll call, okay? Just give them time, and we'll know about it."_

"_You know, don't you?" Tomoyo asked as she looked up at him, but kept her head against his strong chest. "What's been going on lately? Why Sakura-chan has that frightened look in her eyes all the time and why Syaoran-kun has decided to shut down the office here?" _

_Eriol sighed and gently nodded, pulling her in tighter to him. "Please, Tomoyo. . .I do know, but I can't tell you until Syaoran-kun and Sakura-san wish for you to be told."_

"_Demo — !"_

"_They aren't trying to hide anything from you," he gently reassured her. "They just want to keep you safe, because they love you dearly."_

"_But you know!" She quickly said. "So why can't I know!?" _

"_I only know because I could help them, and Syaoran-kun needed to explain why he had to stop trying to expand in Nihon," Eriol quietly explained. "But I'm sure they'll tell you everything soon. It was seeming to get better. . ."_

"_Until now," Tomoyo finished, snuggling up against Eriol's comforting body. "I'm just worried for them. Gomen ne."_

"_Don't be sorry," he gently told her. "They're your friends, and I'd be worried if you out of all people weren't worried for them."_

_Tomoyo smiled and sighed, "Arigatou, Eriol." _

_He smiled and calmly pressed his lips against the top of her head, keeping them there for reassurance before gently pulling away and slipping his hand into hers. He smiled warmly at her and quickly pressed a soft kiss against her lips._

"_Let's just go sit down for a bit, ne, Tomoyo? The morning news should be on. . .and I've heard a little rumor about a certain beautiful girl getting interviewed about her new line of fall clothing!"_

_Tomoyo smiled and let out a small squeal before latching onto his arm and following him into the living room. Eriol sat down on the white leather couch and gently pulled her down beside him, lovingly resting an arm around her shoulders and holding her close. He felt her hand run down his chest and rest at his crotch, making him shiver and Tomoyo let out a small giggle. He looked over and leaned down to give her a longing kiss before reaching for the remote beside him and flicking on the television, and then switched the channel to their news station. _

"_Tomoyo," he growled with a warning tone in his voice. "Don't start something unless you want me to finish it."_

_Tomoyo pouted and pushed herself up to give him another kiss, "Not like I don't want to."_

_Eriol smiled, then kissed her one last time before turning his full attention towards the television. Tomoyo nestled into him more, and moved her hand from his crotch to his thigh, keeping a small smile on her lips as she listened to the weather. _

"_I love you," Tomoyo whispered to Eriol as the breaking news began to show. _

_Eriol smiled, "I love yo. . ."_

_Suddenly, he stopped and watched in horror at the television screen. Tomoyo pouted that he didn't finish his sentence, and looked at the screen as well. Her eyes quickly widened and she had to clap her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming as the news reporter spoke into a microphone as he sat in a helicopter that was hovering over the ocean._

"_Early this morning, flight 54 crashed into the Pacific Ocean on its way from Tokyo, Japan to Hong Kong, China," The man spoke. He had to yell into his microphone to be heard over the loudness of the helicopter's blades spinning in the air. "The cause of this crash has been undetermined, as the plane was in perfect condition and the weather was calm, no turbulence. Most passengers have survived, though, and have been saved by ships and other planes and brought to hospitals. It seems, though, that there are two men missing from the crash and there has not been a single clue as to where they are."_

_Suddenly, two passport pictures appeared on the screen. One was a man in his early thirties. He had dark brown eyes and jet black hair. The other photo was of a man in his early fifties. He had warm brown eyes behind a pair of large glasses and light neat chestnut hair._

"_Kinomoto Touya and Kinomoto Fujitaka have not been found yet," the reporter continued. "No one has seen them since the crash. If anyone has seen or heard from the Kinomotos please call the Narita police station. . ."_

_Tomoyo couldn't hear the rest, she was crying too hard into Eriol's shoulder. He held her tight, gently caressing her back and trying to sooth her with gentle words. It didn't seem to work, though, as he sobs never stopped. He tried to rock her, assuring her it would be alright even though he wasn't certain himself._

"_What's going on, Eriol?" Tomoyo sobbed into his shirt. "Why were Touya-san and Kinomoto-san on the plane? Why can't they be found? I am so confused, Eriol. What's happening!?"_

"_Honestly, I don't know anymore," Eriol admitted with a sigh as he pressed his lips to the top of Tomoyo's head. "I don't know."_

_A couple of hours passed, and Tomoyo had cried herself to sleep on the couch. As she rested, peacefully, drops of salty tears still clung to her long graceful eyelashes and dried tears stained her too-pale cheeks. _

_Eriol returned in the room with a small blanket and lovingly placed it around her shaking body. He leaned down and gently laid a soft kiss on her forehead, making sure the blanket was securely around her. _

_The phone began to ring, and he quickly tried to reach it so the loud noise wouldn't stir his precious Tomoyo. He reached the phone and looked back to see her shifting just slightly, and pulling the edge of the blanket up closer to her. He smiled, and picked up the phone from the wall._

"_Moshi-moshi," he spoke clearly but quietly. "Daidouji Eriol speaking."_

"_Hiiragizawa?" The tired voice asked over the other line. _

_Eriol smiled slightly, realizing who it was at once. There was only one person who refused to call him by his new last name, and who stuck with the old. Then again, Tomoyo and him had only been married for six months._

"_Syaoran-kun," Eriol greeted warmly. Suddenly, his smile sank and he gripped the phone harder, looking back over at Tomoyo for a split second then spoke in an angry hushed voice. "Where the hell are you and Sakura-san? What the hell is going on!?"_

"_Please," Syaoran actually pleaded. "It's not safe for us to be in Nihon anymore, so we had to flee without saying anything. But, Sakura and I. . ."_

_Syaoran trailed off, and Eriol knew he was trying to compose himself. There was a heavy sigh as Syaoran returned his attention back the phone._

"_Is Sakura-san safe?" Eriol asked, his heart beating a mile a minute. Sakura was like a sister to him, and of course, his wife's best friend. "Is she safe?"_

"_Sakura's fine, for the most part," Syaoran answered solemnly. "She's lying down right now. She needs the sleep desperately, but I doubt she'll be asleep for long."_

"_A-and the children?" Eriol suddenly turned icy cold, and gripped the phone with both hands as his breath stopped. Why wasn't Syaoran answering him? What was taking to long? He became enraged, and rose his voice enough to get his emotions through but not enough to wake his beloved. "Answer the question, Li! Now! What of the children!?"_

"_We. . .we had to hide them," Syaoran responded slowly, the tone of hurt and anger filling his voice. "They're not with us."_

"_Na-nani!?" Eriol gasped. He calmed himself down and took a deep breath, "H-how's Sakura-san doing?"_

"_She's holding up, but you know Sakura. She'll try to hide it and keep it in. . .and then it'll just come out and explode. I'm just afraid that this time it'll be too much."_

_Eriol nodded in an understanding way, "Tomoyo's upset, too. We saw the report on the plane crash on the news earlier this morning."_

_The line went silent, but Eirol was sure that Syaoran was still there. And he knew the other man knew what he was speaking of. Finally, after what seemed like a second lifetime, there was the clearing of a throat and Syaoran's husky and tired voice finally spoke._

"_Hiiragizawa, I need you to explain everything to Daidouji-san for us," Syaoran slowly instructed. _

"_Nani?" Eriol asked quietly and confused. "Gomen na, Syaoran-kun. . .demo, I'm more than sure she'd want to hear it from you both instead of me. She's worried about you guys, and she knows something is up. You know how Tomoyo is with these types of things."_

"_Gomen nasai," a softer much more feminine_ _spoke from a third line. "I don't want to worry Tomoyo-chan, demo. . .I-I can't come out there right now. We have to stay here."_

"_Sakura!" Syaorans sharp voice suddenly cut in. "You should be resting!"_

_Sakura, who Eriol guessed was upstairs while Syaoran was downstairs in their huge Li mansion, ignored her husband and continued in her blunt, hurt, tired voice. "Please, Eriol-kun. . .I really don't wish to hurt Tomoyo-chan, you know that. Please."_

_Eriol sighed, and scratched the back of his head nervously. He closed his eyes and nodded, knowing that they couldn't see him. "I'll do it. Demo, please, keep in touch with Tomoyo. Especially you, Sakura-san. . .I can't stand to see her cry like that."_

_There was a small pause, before Sakura's voice returned. She sounded on the verge of tears, "G-Gomen ne. . .demo, I c-can't promise that. Please. . .just leave it like that."_

"_Sakura-san. . ."_

"_Please," this time it was Syaoran. "Hiiragizawa, I know you've already done so much for us, especially with helping with the added security on the house in Tomoeda. But he broke through. We can't say more, just that we can't stay in Nihon at the moment. We're using the plan I was telling you vaguely about just after the twins were born, understand now?"_

_Eriol nodded, "Understood." Then he hung up. He looked back over at Tomoyo, who was in the midst of waking up due to his louder voice during the last part of the conversation. He smiled sadly towards her, and walked back over to their couch._

_When he took a seat on the edge, her beautiful violet eyes fluttered open. She seemed confused, but quickly realized that she had fallen asleep against Eriol. She put on a small smile, forgetting why she was crying and sat up. She felt Eriol slide his hand into hers, and began rubbing the back of her knuckles soothingly with his thumb. _

"_Eriol. . ?" She began with confusion by his sad look and pleading eyes._

"_Sweetie," he began slowly, looking directly into her eyes. "I need to talk to you about Syaoran-kun's family, and a man named Li Xin. . ."_

Tomoyo opened her eyes, confused by her surroundings. She looked over at her window and sighed, realizing only then that she had fallen asleep, and by the small clock on her desk, it was well past the time she was usually home. She sighed again, and stood up with difficulty as she began to stager with tiredness. She shook her head, chiding herself, as she picked up her briefcase and carefully placed her drawings and other work from her desk into it.

The door gently clicked open, but she didn't jump. She knew who it was, and smiled slightly as she looked up and saw Eriol standing in her doorway. He was still in his work suit, but his tie was undone. He looked with concern at his wife, as he walked in and closed the door behind him. He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace, interrupting her as she put her things away.

"I was getting worried," he sighed heavily. "Then Mimiko-san phoned and told me you locked yourself in your office, and refused to see anyone for the day. Daijoubu?"

Tomoyo faked a smile and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, kissing his nose playfully. "Un, daijoubu Eriol."

"Are you sure?" He scrunched up his face like he always did when he was confused. "Tomoyo, I know you, and that most certainly is not your smile. What happened?"

That was it for Tomoyo, and she broke again. She squeezed him, trying to bring comfort to herself as she buried her face into Eriol's chest. She began sobbing uncontrollably, not caring how expensive his suit was or how ruined it would become if she let her salty tears leak onto the material. She didn't care; she could always make him another. She made all his clothes, after all.

Eriol looked down sadly at Tomoyo, confused as to why she was so upset. He pulled her tighter towards him, and gently began to rock her. He sighed, some part of him suddenly knowing what was going on. He frowned, and spoke quietly so only she could hear, not like it mattered since they were alone.

"You found them, didn't you?"

Tomoyo nodded vigorously into his chest, not looking up at him. "I found them."

XxXxXxX

**(Nervous laugh) -- I had to cut this chapter in half. . .it was waaay too long. Originally this chapter was a full 25 pages xx and I was told another small tree died. But don't worry :) It'll all still make sense!! **

**Please Read-and-Review, especially for those who haven't yet!! :) I love your thoughts and opinions about my writing!! It really helps.**


	17. Chapter 16: Tomoyo's Gift

_I just want to quickly thank __**Smoochynose **__for giving me an idea in her last review (smiles). As soon as she said that, although I couldn't use it in the last chapter, I suddenly got inspiration and built onto it, adding a whole new section to this chapter. Doomo arigatou gozaimasu, Smoochynose-san!! _

_And as well, again, thank you to my two AWESOME betas; __**SilentCynara **__and __**Tsuki.Senpi**__. You both rock and you know it! Your comments throughout the chapters really help me, and some just make me laugh XDD (winks) And we ALL know how horrible my spelling is (twitches nervously) so...hehe...thanks for putting up with me for so long!_

_In addition (wow...lot's of people to thank this time!), I'd also like thank __**Chesseycraziness**__, for helping me choose a name mentioned in this (smirks evilly). I was having difficuly narrowing it down from the ones I liked...so thank you SO much for helping me and giving me your input for the name!_

_And now, I think I'm all done my gratitude, so enjoy the chapter! _

**-X.o.X-**

**_Chapter sixteen: Tomoyo's Gift_**

Eriol looked down sadly at Tomoyo, confused as to why she was so upset. He pulled her tighter towards him, and gently began to rock her. Then he sighed, some part of him suddenly knowing what was going on. He frowned, and spoke quietly so only she could hear, not like it mattered since they were alone.

"You found them, didn't you?"

Tomoyo nodded vigorously into his chest, not looking up at him. "I found them."

Eriol gently pulled away, moving his hands to her upper arm and keeping her close. He gave her a serious look, as if trying to read her. The tears still rimmed her beautiful gem like eyes and slowly dripped down her soft milky skin. He frowned, "How did you find them exactly?"

She smiled, looking him straight in the eyes. "I didn't find them. . .they found me."

"But why!? Why did they come here, to find you? How?" Eriol's eyes widened in a panic as his grasp on Tomoyo's arms tightened. And yet, nothing changed in Tomoyo's eyes; they remained sad yet happy at the same time. Finally, after a bit he let a small forced smile spread across his lips. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go.

"So," he said gently. "They really are getting more powerful, aren't they? Finding things out."

"How so?" Tomoyo asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Eriol smiled, and gently ran the back of his fingers from his right hand down Tomoyo's cheek, making her smile as well. "Because," he began. "I believe they were the one's I felt today; the strong silver and gold auras in Tokyo tonight."

"And you're still not going to help them?" Tomoyo asked quietly, part of her feeling hurt. Even though they had been missing for years, she still thought of the two as her part of her own family. She remembered becoming enraged fifteen years ago, when Eriol flatly told her out he couldn't help them no matter what circumstances, until he received further instructions from Syaoran.

"_But why?" _She had asked, tears streaking her cheeks as Eriol finished telling her about their friends and this Li Xin. _"Why can't you help them if they get into trouble? You have magic! Why can't you!?"_

"_Because," _Eriol had started sadly, looking away. _"I promised Syaoran-kun I wouldn't. They need to grow on their own, and if Li ever does find them, they need to be able to stand up against him."_

"_And if they get into trouble?" _She had asked. _"If they can't protect themselves!? They're so young!" _

"_I just can't, Tomoyo." _He stated firmly. _"I gave my word. . .gomen nasai."_

"No," Eriol finally said with a sigh after a long pause. "Syaoran-kun and Sakura-san didn't want them tossed up in this in the first place, and — "

"But they _have _been caught up in this!" Tomoyo whispered harshly. "So now what?"

"I won't," Eriol repeated. "Because I believe in them. I believe that they will be alright. But I promise, Tomoyo, the day that our friends return is the day that I join in this battle."

"And I also will," a delicate but strong beautiful voice said from the doorway. "I want to help too."

Eriol and Tomoyo turned their attention to the opened door, making both smile. Eriol nodded, a proud flame growing in his dark eyes, "Yes, of course you will, Koume-chan."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko groaned as her lazy eyes slowly fluttered open. They felt heavy from the lack of sleep, but the stupid ringing from her phone had woken her. She turned over to read the glowing numbers on her alarm clock, and groaned again to see it was just past midnight. Who in the right frame of mind was calling her that late at night?

She sighed, hearing the phone ring again as she kicked off the warm covers and slid her feet onto the floor. Her whole body shivered once the skin from her feet hit the floor, making her toes curl from the pure coolness of the floor. She quickly tried to look around for her slippers, but couldn't find them. The phone continued to ring, so she ignored the cold feeling shooting up her legs and stumbled over towards her desk where her cell phone rested.

She numbly picked up the phone, her eyes slowly closing again as she flipped the phone open. She took a deep breath, and grunted, only half heartedly speaking into the phone, "Moshi moshi."

"Tsukiko?" The voice spoke quickly and nervously.

For whatever reason, Tsukiko's eyes flew open and she clutched the phone hard as Akatsuki's voice registered in her mind. There was something up in his voice, and she suddenly felt nervous herself. "A-Akatsuki-kun? What's wrong?"

"Anou. . .n-nothing, I guess. . ." He sounded as though he was really only half aware of his actions.

Tsukiko sighed angrily and let her grip on the phone loosen. Her eyelids fluttered closed again as she pulled out the chair of her desk and sat down with no grace whatsoever. She propped her arm up on the desk and cradled her head in her hand, wanting nothing more than to just fall back to sleep. "Then why are you calling me so late? Do you not realize the time?"

"Gomen," he quietly apologized. "Demo, do you have any plans tomorrow morning?"

Tsukiko yawned, putting her answer on hold. "It's Sunday, ne? Then no, I don't have anything planned for the morning. Akimi-chan and I were going shopping at about one in the afternoon, but nothing for the morning. Naze?"

"Anou. . ." again, he seemed only half there as if preoccupied with something else. "I got something delivered to my apartment a few minutes ago. You're not going to believe it."

XxXxXxX

"Kami-sama. . ." Tsukiko sighed with amazement as she looked down into the box. The box was as high as her waist, and as wide as her stove at home. She had only been at Akatsuki's for five minutes, and since she already somewhat knew her way around she found her own way into the living room to be met with the large cardboard box. It wasn't hard to miss, and when the boy opened it to reveal what was inside, she was even more at a loss.

"Yeah, I know," Akatsuki sat on the couch behind the box and ran his hand through his hair. "It came in the middle of the night. The woman who dropped it off said it was from Tomoyo-san, and gave me this letter."

Akatsuki handed Tsukiko a neatly folded orange piece of paper. The girl quickly took it and opened it to read, her eyes skimming the words in the fastest pace she could possibly read.

**Hopefully this helps. I can't really help more, but what Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun don't know won't hurt them ;) I want to help. . .and I think you may find what you need in these. **

**Choose carefully!!**

**With love, Tomoyo **

**-xox-**

Tsukiko laughed nervously and looked back down at the open box. She cleared her throat and took a seat beside Akatsuki, sighing heavily as she sat. "We're not seriously going to watch _all _of these movies, are we? There has to be hundreds of discs in here!"

Akatsuki looked over at her as if she were mad, "Are you kidding me? Of course we're not watching all of them! I don't even understand what we're supposed to gain from watching videos."

Tsukiko looked back at the box and picked up a tape from the top. She turned it to read it's label; _'Final Judgment: SAKURA IS MASTER OF THE CLOW!'_. She re-read it, confused, and set it back down on the top of the large pile of black tapes.

"I don't know," Tsukiko admitted, turning back to Akatsuki. "But I trust Tomoyo-san, so she has to know something. And no, this isn't me being too trusting."

"I know," Akatsuki sighed and looked away. "I. . .I trust Tomoyo-san, too."

Tsukiko sighed, then turned back to Akatsuki with a smile. She clasped her hands together and stood up enthusiastically. "I guess we should start rooting through the box then, ne, Akatsuki-kun?"

Akatsuki blinked a few times before smiling back and nodded. He stood up and helped Tsukiko lift the heavy box, then carefully tipped it over so that all the tapes fell onto the floor. They split the pile in two and slowly began trying to sort through it. The plan; to pull out the ones with the labels that might actually help them, show something they needed to know. Akatsuki kept this in mind. Tsukiko, however, also wanted to find videos that related to Tomoyo's stories earlier about their love-sick parents.

By the time an hour had past, the two had finally been able to sort through all the videos, and if they counted properly there was about three to four hundred videos in total. Each had their own small pile of videos resting aside from the rest, and decided to start watching them before Tsukiko had to leave to go meet up with Akimi.

Akatsuki rolled his eyes at Tsukiko's pile, "Eight videos, Tsukiko? Like we'll actually have time to watch all those."

Tsukiko stuck her tongue out at him and pointed to his much smaller pile, "And you only have three? What's wrong with you?"

"All we want to see are things that can help us, ne?" He asked with sarcasm and a raised eyebrow.

Tsukiko giggled, "You have no adventure sense whatsoever. Don't you want to see what our parents were like growing up or what type of people they are?"

Akatsuki opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it upon seeing Tsukiko's face that told him if he didn't agree, she was going to tear him a new one. This made Tsukiko smile as she made her way to the television, weaving between the dangerous mounds of DVDs, and pushed her first video in.

The first video was the one Tsukiko had seen on the top of the pile earlier, marked _'Final Judgment: SAKURA IS MASTER OF THE CLOW!'_ It opened up with a much younger looking Sakura, no older then eleven, dressed in a very odd outfit. She was wearing a long pink cape and a matching hat, then a body suit that ended with shorts. To top it off, she wore long purple knee-highs and sneakers. She was being thrown against Tokyo Tower, screaming as a winged man attacked her.

Tsukiko felt herself gasp; why was Yue attacking the girl!?

_A younger Syaoran, about the same age of Sakura, was running to keep up with the battle between Yue and Sakura. He was wearing green Chinese-looking robes and pulled out a yellow strip of paper with Chinese writing on it, ready to cast a spell when the great Keroberus jumped in front of him and prevented him from doing so. _

"_You can't!" Keroberus yelled to Syaoran. "Right when someone else helps her, that indicates Sakura's loss!"_

_Syaoran became enraged and didn't put down the paper, "But at this rate, she will. . !"_

_Keroberus sadly turned his attention back to Sakura who was fighting for her life. He looked longingly at her and spoke in wishful thinking, "I'm sure that Sakura will be able to convince Yue. . .I believe in Sakura. . ."_

Tsukiko turned and playfully punched Akatsuki in the arm, making him yelp with surprise and rub his arm as if he were actually hurt. Tsukiko smirked at him, and crossed her arms as he gave her this maddening look that could almost cross over to being annoyed.

"What the hell was that for?" He whined.

Tsukiko smirked and pointed to the television, "Thatis where you get your short temper!"

"_Oooi!" Syaoran's voice yelled as he ran along the side of the person who was holding the camera. _

_The girl in the distance turned around to see him and another person running towards them. Syaoran picked up speed and got to her before his friend. _

"_Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo's young voice called out from behind the camera._

_Sakura slowly smiled, her eyes dancing as she ran to meet them halfway. She screamed out something, then ran over and grabbed Syaoran's hands. She began to dance around in a circle, accidently letting go and making Syaoran fall to the ground and bang his head._

"_Gomen nasai!" Sakura gasped, clasping her hands together. Syaoran sat up, wincing from the small pain in his head from hitting the ground and rubbed the back of his head, but then let a small smile slip past his lips. This didn't go unnoticed by Sakura, who squealed and smiled back down at him._

Tsukiko went to pop out that movie and move onto the next.

The rest of the videos were much the same; most showing how Sakura and Syaoran never knew their feelings for each other, or when Syaoran did realize it how he would try and tell her but always got interrupted. In one video, Tsukiko couldn't help but let out a squeal of amazement when she saw the two dancing together lovingly in a play at the annual summer Nedeshiko festival. Akatsuki groaned at this, and rolled his eyes. On another disc Tsukiko pointed out how cute Syaoran was when he was becoming jealous over a young midnight haired boy wearing glasses because he also seemed to like Sakura. Another video showed their parents first date, and another parts of their marriage.

But the one thing that always reflected in the videos was Sakura; Sakura growing up, Sakura capturing cards, and Sakura and Syaoran's odd relationship from when they first met until, it seemed, they disappeared. And, of course, both Akatsuki and Tsukiko quickly realized that Tomoyo had a small obsession with filming, especially filming her best friend.

After about three hours of watching non-stop videos, Tsukiko sighed and picked a disc up from her pile. "Okay, second last one."

"Aren't you supposed to meet Akimi-chan at the mall in a little over an hour?" Akatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow as Tsukiko pushed herself off the couch and changed the discs.

"I'll be there in time," she sassed back. "Don't worry about me!" She bounced back to the couch and sat comfortably as the movie began.

Again, it seemed as though it was Tomoyo who was holding the camera, and the room she was in was filled with enchanting Christmas decorations in crystal blues, silvers and whites. The room was packed with people, and you could tell Tomoyo was having difficulty moving around with her camera.

"_To-mo-yo," a voice came from behind her. The camera turned to see Eriol standing there in a beautiful white suit and red tie. He was grinning widely, as he reached down and seemed to take Tomoyo's free hand. "Sweetie, do you mind putting the camera away just for tonight?"_

_The camera shook as Tomoyo shook her head, "Iie! I can't! This is Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun's first Christmas together!"_

"_No it isn't," Eriol said with a smirk. "It's their first Christmas __married__, but certainly not their first while being together."_

_It sounded as though Tomoyo gave him a raspberry, then returned to look through the crowd for someone. After many squeezes and 'excuse me's', Tomoyo stopped after seeming to find what she was looking for. She moved the camera so that it got a good shot of the group; Sakura, Syaoran and two others._

Tsukiko gasped; the two others were without a doubt her parents.No, she thought sadly, her adoptive parents.

_Her mother was wearing an elegant black silk dress that reached just past her knees and her beautiful silky hair was let loose. She was standing next to Tsukiko's father, who was holding a champagne glass with one hand and the womans hand with his other. Sakura was wearing a green silk dress that touched the ground and a pretty black shall. She was standing next to Syaoran, who had his arms snaked around her waste lovingly. _

"_How far along are you, Li-san?" Tsukiko's mother asked Sakura._

_Sakura smiled, "Only three months, but the doctor says that the baby is doing good."_

_Syaoran began to gently caress his wife's hip as Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder. He smiled politely, and spoke to both people in front of him. "You've been married for five years now, ne?"_

_Tsukiko's father nodded with a smile, "Yes sir, we married right after we got out of high school. But what about you? I heard in the paper that you two were only engaged two years ago, and only married last February and here you are, already pregnant. Don't you want to enjoy her first, Li-san?"_

_Sakura blushed as Syaoran laughed along beside the man. He turned to see his wife's changing facial colour and whispered something in her ear. She blushed even more, and gave him a warning look as he smirked and returned to his conversation. _

"_Well, you can say that. But you can't always trust the papers," Syaoran spoke calmly and left it at that, knowing neither would push any farther. Sakura smiled slightly, knowing exactly what he meant. _

"_Nanami-san," Sakura continued with the woman. "When do you want kids? You most certainly seem like the type who wants them."_

_The man and woman exchanged an uncomfortable gaze, before the man cleared his throat. He looked sad and as though someone had punched him in the face, "My wife can't have kids, Li-san."_

_Sakura let out a small gasp. You could see the ashamed colour creep into her cheeks. "I. . .gomen nasai! I-I didn't know!"_

"_Iie," the woman smiled slightly. "It's alright, really. We're actually thinking about adopting in a year or so. I really do want kids."_

Akatsuki saw the look on Tsukiko's concentrated face. He frowned, and lightly touched her hand. She jumped, and mumbled an apology. She was clearly lost in thought before, and when she did that she tuned everything else out.

"Are you alright?" Akatsuki asked.

"U-un," Tsukiko smiled gently. "Arigatou. I guess this somewhat explains how my parents were connected to the Lis, ne?"

Akatsuki nodded and picked up the final video tape resting beside him. He smiled gently, and turned to hand it to Tsukiko.

"Okay," Akatsuki sighed. "This is the last video, ne?"

Tsukiko nodded, looking down at the time on her watch. She had to meet Akimi at the Tomoeda Mall soon, so they had to finish it quickly. She took the disc from Akatsuki's hands and walked back over towards the DVD player and removed the previous video from its slot, then pushed the new one in. It took a minute to load, but the picture quickly came through.

Tomoyo was clearly the one holding the camera, because her giggles could be heard from behind the recorder. Her hand frantically flapped in front of the camera's lens.

"_Hurry!" She squealed. "Everyone find a place to hide! They'll be home any second!"_

_At least twenty people began to hush each other and began to hide behind furniture and doors, and anything else they could hide behind. Tomoyo, with the camera still in hand, ran over towards the wall just as the locking beep sound of a vehicle outside indicated that someone was home. She flicked the lights off, and hushed everyone to keep quiet._

_Slowly, the front door unlocked and light flooded the dark room as the door gently slid open. Tomoyo's suppressed laughter could be just heard as the door closed behind the two figures who had stepped in. _

"_Do you want to take a nap while they're asleep?" The one figure, a male, gently asked._

"_Iie," the other, a woman, answered. "I'm fine, really Syaoran."_

_The one flicked on the light from beside them, and at that moment twenty some odd number of people jumped up and screamed congratulations._

"_Hoee!" Screamed the woman who had entered the house as she latched onto the man's arm beside her. She had beautiful honey-brown hair that curved around her face gracefully and stunning emerald eyes. She held lovingly onto a swaddled bundle. _

_The man beside her laughed and patted his wife's arm gently, "It's alright, Sakura. Kami-sama, you scare so easily!"_

_The man, Syaoran, had intense amber eyes and messy locks of hair that almost matched his eyes perfectly. He also held onto a swaddled package and a large suitcase. He set the suitcase down and wrapped an arm around Sakura. _

_Suddenly, everyone was crowding around them to see the objects in the swaddled bundes. Tomoyo had to battle her way through with the camera, and when she finally reached the happy couple, she couldn't help but squeal out a loud 'Kawaii!'. In the pink package Sakura held onto was a sleeping baby with messy soft locks of chocolate brown hair. The hair was delicate looking, and was only as long as a pinky finger. Then the camera moved to the green bundle Syaoran was holding. It was an identical looking baby, also sleeping, and sucking his little thumb. Tomoyo squealed again. _

"_Shh, Daidouji-san!" Syaoran scolded. "They're asleep! I'd like to keep it that way!"_

_The crowd around the new family laughed as Tomoyo grumbled something to Syaoran from behing her camera. Sakura gently shook her head and elbowed Syaoran in the side to make him apologize to her friend. He smiled sheepishly at her and obeyed his wife. Then he smirked down an evil grin to Sakura and softly demanded a kiss for his good deed. She sighed, but then gave him a kind smile and stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. But before Tomoyo could let out another squeal, the couple had turned to her and shushed her in advance, receiving another fit of laughter from the group around them. _

_A few seconds later, two more figures appeared in the camera's perspective after pushing themselves into the front of the group of people surrounding the small family. Both men were in their early to mid thirties. The one had dark hair and eyes, with a hard look on his face while the other had natural grey hair and large glowing eyes, and his face was warm and gentle._

"_Congratulations, Sakura-chan! Syaoran-kun!" Yukito beamed towards the couple._

_Sakura smiled, "Arigatou, Yukito-san!"_

_The other man grunted, a small smile spreading across his lips as he looked down at the two babies, "Too bad the poor kids are stuck looking like the kaijuu. Looks like I'll have to make fun of them now too. The little gaki and little kaijuu, hm, Sakura?"_

_Sakura's eyes narrowed on the man as a low growl erupted from her throat, "They're not brats or monsters, Onii-chan! And neither am I!"_

_Touya laughed slightly, then looked back at the sleeping infants. He smiled, and gently rested a hand on baby Akatsuki's head, then looked back up at his own sister, "But in all honesty, they really are beautiful, Sakura. Even if they are the Chinese gaki's children."_

"_Onii-chan! Syaoran is not a brat!"_

_Touya smirked and removed his hand from the baby's head, then shoved his hands into his pockets, "If you say so, Sakura. Dad will be here in about an hour, he said he just needed to finish some things up at the school and he'd be over."_

_Sakura glared at her brother and childishly stuck her tongue out at him before Touya and Yukito turned and walked away towards a table with food. Sakura mumbled something under her breath, then turned back to Syaoran. She gently kissed his cheek, and took the baby he was holding into her own arms._

"_I'll be back in a moment," she quietly told him. "I'm just going to put them to bed. It's so loud down here, they're bound to wake up soon with all this ruckus." _

_Syaoran nodded, and watched as Sakura headed towards the staircase. When She disappeared up the stairs, Eriol came into the picture and clapped Syaoran on the back a bit too enthusiastically. Syaoran coughed, but the other man ignored it and smiled widely at him._

"_So, my adorable little descendant is finally all grown up," Eriol smirked. "Ah, it's too bad they look so much like you. Now they'll be cursed for the rest of their l — Ow! Tomoyo!"_

"_Leave Syaoran-kun alone!" Tomoyo playfully chided after she had clearly slapped him on the arm. "They're beautiful, Syaoran-kun. Really."_

_Syaoran beamed at Tomoyo happily, "Akatsuki-kun has Sakura's eyes, you know. I'm so happy with that. I was hoping one of them would get her eyes. They're just so. . .so. . ."_

"_Oh, Kami-sama, Syaoran!" A woman with bright ruby-red eyes entered the camera's view and slapped her cousin on the side of his head. "Stop being so mushy around us! We know you love Sakura-chan and how you adore her eyes. Alright! We get it! You've only said it a couple of hundred times!"_

_Syaoran sighed, "You know Meiling, if you would actually get out and look I'm sure you'd find a guy to start bragging and ranting about."_

_Meiling laughed, "Okay, Syaoran. If you say so. Tell me when you can find a guy that can put up with my temper."_

"_Meiling. . ."_

"_I'm serious, Syaoran," Meiling continued. "I'm damn proud of my attitude, but find a guy that'll be just as pleased with it. Now that's something none of us can do."_

_Syaoran sighed and slung an arm around his cousin, "You know, if you keep giving up like that you never will find someone. Just open your eyes and I'm sure you'll f — "_

_Meiling playfully pulled away from him and smacked him on the arm, "I said, stop being so mushy!"_

_Syaoran rolled his eyes and apologized, then looked at her seriously, "You said that you had a message from Mother? What is it?"_

"_Oh!" Meiling smiled, smacking herself for forgetting. "Kami-sama, I'm getting as bad a memory as Sakura-chan! Auntie Yelan said that she's going to visit tomorrow with your sisters, so she expects a great dinner, and she also said that if you try to hide then she'll go hunt you down because she's dying to see her grandchildren. And something about the elders wanting you and your family to move back to Hong Kong, or whatever."_

_Syaoran groaned, "Great, thanks for telling me so soon."_

"_No problem!" Meiling said happily as she skipped off towards a group of girls. _

_Syaoran sighed, but quickly stopped and smiled as he saw Sakura descending the stairs and making her way back to him. He held out an arm so that when she got to him, she could wrap herself around him like she always did. He smirked as she wrapped her arms around his waist and playfully stood on her tip-toes to kiss him on the nose._

"_I don't know how long they'll sleep," she admitted. "Tsukiko-chan seemed on the verge of waking when I left."_

_Syaoran smiled and softly traced her right cheek with his finger, "I'll go upstairs when she wakes, then."_

"_Oh no," Sakura smiled and kissed him on the nose again. "I can go! Really!"_

_Syaoran smiled and kissed her on the nose, childishly imitating her. "No, I'll go."_

_Sakura giggled and leaned her head on his chest, gently chiding him about being too macho. Syaoran smiled at this, and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. She quickly blushed, and buried her head into his chest as if to hide her bright red face._

_Tomoyo sighed, "Ah, young love."_

"_Hey!" Eriol whipped around to Tomoyo and frowned. "What about us, 'moyo?"_

_Tomoyo giggled at the use of her nickname, "I want a baby, Eriol!"_

_Eriol smiled, "You have one, and she's at home being watched by your adoring mother."_

"_I want another!" She demanded from him._

_Sakura, Syaoran and Eriol all laughed while Tomoyo pouted and began whining about not getting what was so funny about wanting a second child. But their laughter quickly subsided when they heard the soft cries of a very young infant. Sakura smiled, and pulled off the baby monitor from the side of her pants and showed it to Syaoran._

"_Tsukiko-chan's awake," she told him with a smile. "I'll go get her."_

_As she turned to leave Syaoran grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her back to his chest. He kissed her full heartily on the lips, and grinned at her evilly when she tried to pull away. "I can get her."_

_Sakura giggled and ran her finger along his chest, "Why do you have to be this way?"_

"_Because," Syaoran said huskily as he leaned down so his forehead was leaning against his wife's. "I can."_

_Sakura gently shook her head as she kissed him again. Tomoyo sighed from behind the camera and let out another smaller 'Kawaii' before Meiling turned up in the picture again began scolding Syaoran with her hands placed firmly on her hips._

"_Fine!" She declared, glaring at her cousin. "I'll go get the baby! She's been crying for a few minutes now, the poor thing!"_

_Sakura blushed and pulled away from Syaoran, "Oh no, Meiling-chan. Gomen ne, I can go get her."_

_Meiling smiled towards Sakura and winked, "Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan. I want to go spend time with my niece, you know."_

_Syaoran pulled Sakura back to his chest, receiving a small squeak from her as she was caught off guard. She quickly adjusted to being in his arms, and wound her arms back around him. He leaned back down and rested his forehead back onto hers._

"_Now," he breathed heavily. "Where were we before Meiling-baka interrupted us?" _

"_Syaoran," Sakura scolded. "Don't be so mean to her."_

_Syaoran smirked and leaned in to kiss her again, but quickly pulled apart when Tomoyo let out a loud, angry scream. The two looked back at the camera just the picture began to flick in and out._

"_No!" Tomoyo screamed frantically. "I've run out of film! No! No no no! Eriol, I need you to drive home!"_

"_Come on, 'moyo, just enjoy the day."_

"_Demo. . .demo. . .demo. . . I __have__ to film this! I — "_

The screen turned blue, indicating that the camera had run out of film. Tsukiko and Akatsuki continued to stare at the screen for a few more minutes though, even though it was just a blank screen. Neither wanted to move, and neither could explain it but the video just made everything seem more real. There was proof of them being together, only a few days old, in the arms of their actual parents. It was inexplicable, but just seeing that tape made everything seem more realistic and not just some crazed dream that they often told themselves they lived in.

"H-hey," Akatsuki said finally turning to Tsukiko. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

Tsukiko turned to him, her face looking a bit sad as he eyes glazed over with what could only be described as glossy tears, yet they both knew she wasn't going to cry. Akatsuki reached across the couch and gently took her hand, trying to comfort her.

"Oh," Tsukiko shook her head to snap herself out of her dazed out phase. "I'm alright, honestly."

"You sure?" He asked softly. "You just seem. . .out of it."

Tsukiko looked back at the blank screen, letting it replay in her mind sentence by sentence. Maybe if she went through it enough times she'd finally get something or something would click that would help them. She ignored Akatsuki as he repeated his question, but then turned to him with a smile.

"They're in Hong Kong," she simply said. "That other Li said the elders wanted them there again, and that's where most of the Clan is, so it'd make sense!"

Akatsuki sighed, but didn't remove his hand from hers. "Tsukiko, please. . .let's just try and defeat Li and work the rest of this out later. He's more important right now, okay. Tsukiko?" He paused briefly. " Tsukiko!?"

Tsukiko grinned wickedly at him, not answering his question directly. What did she care about what he thought? Sure, Li was important, but wasn't finding their actual parents pretty important too?

Perhaps she could be called greedy and selfish and maybe even stupid, because she already had two adoring parents who would do anything for her. But every since she was little, it felt as though little chunks of her heart had been missing, and that her 'parents' didn't take up as much space inside her heart as she thought they should. When she met Akatsuki, part of the hole filled itself in. But what about the rest of the darkness? She was sure that if she found these two, everything would be better.

And they'd surely help them with Li.

"Oh no, Kami-sama," Akatsuki sighed with annoyance. "What are you plotting? I know that look, and it can never be good."

Tsukiko smiled even more, her eyes filled with adventure and innocence all at the same time. She grinned, as the plan played out in her mind. "We're going to China."

XxXxXxX

**So I hope this fills some people with their hunger for the older characters, especially with Tomoyo and Eriol, and somewhat with Meiling. Don't worry, and have faith; I didn't drop the more important older characters (Tomoyo, Eriol, Meiling, Yelan, etc etc) and most have their own role XD So don't worry; they should come in at one point or another. **

**As well (smiles) I had some Sakura-x-Syaoran in this!! So I hope that satisfied some people for now. . !**


	18. Chapter 17: Falling into Place

_**Chapter seventeen: Falling into Place**_

"Nani!?" Akimi screeched. "You two are going _where!?_"

Tsukiko sighed as she held onto her mug of hot tea in her hands. They were in the same little café they had found a few weeks prior to, and incidentally, they were in the same booth they had sat in the first time they had visited the shop. This time, however, it was after school and the café was a tad fuller, but not by much. There was a couple sitting across the room from the trio, and a small group of female students from Seijo off in the corner, and a mother and her two children at another table. Still, the café had more empty tables than full ones. And even with this all, the café, called Kochou Café, had quickly been claimed as the trio's place where they would meet and talk. It was their sanctuary, so to speak, where they could talk to one another without fear of others hearing them.

"China," Akatsuki finally grumbled. "We have to go to China."

A small smile spread across Tsukiko's lips without her intending it; it had taken a few days to actually convince Akatsuki to go with her to China. He didn't want to, trying to say that all he cared about was finding out what the deal was with Li and 'them', and that he didn't care about their 'deadbeat parents'. He'd even gone to the extent of ignoring Tsukiko for over a day. But, Tsukiko had still won out in the end.

"_Fine," Akatsuki sighed as he angrily ran his fingers through his hair. "You plan it out and everything though, understand? I don't ever want to meet those idiots, so I'm only doing this for you."_

"_I can go by myself then," Tsukiko said bitterly. "I don't need you to come and babysit me, you know."_

"_Hell no!" Akatsuki looked at her seriously. "If I go, I can at least_ _make sure you won't get into any trouble. Like I'd let you go alone to Hong Kong where Li is probably just waiting for us."_

"Doushite?" Akimi asked, switching her gaze from Akatsuki to Tsukiko.

"Because we may have a lead on Li," Akatsuki lied. "So Tsukiko wants to go check it out."

"Demo, you said he was from China, ne?" Akimi quickly asked. "So won't he have an advantage if you're in his own country?"

"We're not sure," Tsukiko admitted with a strained smile. "Demo, we have to go. Please believe us."

Akimi looked hard at Tsukiko, then turned her attention back to Akatsuki. She couldn't help but noticed the ticked-off look in his dark emerald eyes. He seemed angry about something, and his gaze was constantly flickering over to Tsukiko. Akimi bit her lower lip; she wanted nothing more than to ask him what was wrong with him and why he seemed so upset. But she didn't; no, Akimi was still too shy to act that forward around him, and she hated herself for it. Instead, she smiled and looked straight over to the boy with a small glint in her eyes.

"Then I'm coming," she stated boldly.

"I don't think so!" Akatsuki said quickly, his gaze looking down seriously at her. "You're around when we practice, isn't that enough?"

"I want to be part of this!" Akimi said bravely. "I don't want to sit around and watch. And don't you dare say it's too dangerous because I already told you that I don't care! I can take care of myself and this Li-person."

"But it is too dangerous!" Akatsuki's eyes narrowed on her. "And I'm sure Li won't hesitate to kill you."

"And like I said, I don't ca — !"

"No."

Both Akatsuki and Akimi stopped their arguing and turned to Tsukiko, who was looking straight towards Akimi. She had a tight grasp on the small mug of tea in her hand as her eyes grew large with concern and uneasiness. She shook her head slightly, making Akimi frown.

"No," Tsukiko repeated. "It's not that it's too dangerous — let me finish, Akatsuki-kun." She saw him open his mouth to her, and waited until he closed it before continuing. "It's not that I don't think you can't take care of yourself, because I'm sure you know when to run. It's because I need to ask you a favor."

Akimi frowned, but sighed and let it go without another comment. She didn't look over to Akatsuki, who she was sure was madder than stink at Tsukiko for saying that it wasn't too dangerous for her, but she kept her attention on the girl sitting beside her. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to cover for me," Tsukiko explained. "My parents wouldn't even think of allowing me to go to the other end of Japan without them, let alone a different country. Akatsuki-kun's parents really don't mind and all, but I need you to play along with the story of me staying with you."

Akimi nodded, "Okay. . .but what do if they phone? You won't be at my place, so what am I supposed to say?"

"I'll just tell my parents to call me on the cell Akatsuki-kun gave to me, and just tell them it's your cell. I'll have it on me the entire time," Tsukiko continued to explain. "All I need you to do is pretend I'm at your place, and I need to be able to tell them that I'm just staying with you for a few days."

"How long will you be gone?" Akimi asked.

"Three days," Akatsuki answered, sighing lightly in relief when Akimi finally looked over at him and smiled. "We'll be leaving tonight, on the nine o'clock plane."

The waitress for their table walked over and laid down their check. Akatsuki took it and paid while the two girls stood and slipped on their coats. Together, the three of them walked out of the small café and made plans for what was going to happen. Tsukiko wanted this to work out perfectly, and some part of her was already telling her that she would have nothing to worry about.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko silently packed the green suit case on her bed, trying hard not to wake the tiny Kero sleeping on her dresser. She had managed to get Kero to fall asleep after 'treating' him to a huge dinner she had brought up from downstairs. Only soon after his arrival, Tsukiko had learned that although he could eat a lot, the tiny creature quickly fell asleep once he was overly stuffed. Oh yes, she smiled to herself, she was evil.

The girl packed only what she absolutely needed, along with the photocopied photos she had taken from the yearbook she and Akatsuki had been looking at. Carefully, she did up the zipper on the side of the suitcase, with success; Kero twitched only once but not wake, then carefully she slipped out of her room and down the stairs.

Her parents were talking and sitting in the living room but they stopped when she came in. They both turned to her and smiled, standing up to walk her to the door. After Tsukiko had slipped on her coat and shoes, her mother bent down and gave her a warm and loving hug.

"Are you sure her mother is okay with this? I mean, it's still school and all. Maybe you two should do this when the winter break comes?" Her mother offered.

Tsukiko shook her head and gently pulled away, her mother still holding onto her. "It's fine. Akimi-chan lives closer to the school too, so it'll be a nice change. And it's only for three days, it'll be perfectly fine."

"Okay. . ." her mother bit her lower lip with a troubled look in her eyes. "If you're sure then."

"Akimi-chan will always have her phone on, remember. I wrote her number down by the phone in the hall, okay?" Tsukiko pressed on with a tiny smile. "But Akimi-chan and I have a lot to do on our project, so we'll be at the library a lot. You most likely won't catch us at home until late."

"Alright," her father smiled. "Just have fun, deal?"

Tsukiko nodded happily with a smile, then quickly hugged her father before opening the door and slipped away, praying desperately thatKero wouldn't wake until she was at least on the plane.

She walked down the road, constantly looking around to make sure a certain yellow teddy bear wasn't following her. About halfway down the street, when she was sure he wasn't behind her, Tsukiko broke out into a run. She turned off onto a tiny road close to Penguin Park, where she was met by a boy wearing a loose pair of jeans and a baggy fiery red sweater leaning against a taxi.

Akatsuki turned to her and smiled, meeting her halfway and taking her bag to load it into the taxi's trunk. He gently placed her suitcase next to his, then opened the side door and slid in beside Tsukiko who was already sitting comfortably in her seat. He shut the door behind him then told the driver where to bring them.

"So," Akatsuki turned to Tsukiko as soon as the driver restarted the engine and began driving down the street, "your parents bought it then? That you're staying over at Hamamoto-san's?"

The girl nodded and smirked evilly, "Uh-huh. . .and Kero-chan's fast asleep in my room. He really never should eat too much, ne? But I don't know how long he'll sleep for."

Akatsuki sighed and leaned back in his seat, resting his hands behind his head in a tired manner, "I still don't understand _why_ you want to find these people so badly. I mean, they _are_ the one's that abandoned us, and — "

"They did not abandon us!" Tsukiko told him sternly, cutting him off. "Both Kero-chan and Tomoyo-san said that they didn't, and I believe them. I'm sure that our parents had their reasons for doing this, and I for one would like to know why. Don't you want to know?"

"Tch," Akatsuki scowled angrily. He rolled his eyes, then closed them, ready to fall asleep. "I don't care what their reasons were. . .parents don't abandon their children, Tsukiko. That's that. They just don't, okay?"

Tsukiko paused and gave him a concerned stare, her eyebrows hitching together in a worrisome way, "Is. . .is that why you're so angry whenever _they_'re brought up? You're angry at them?"

"You would be too," the boy whispered angrily between clenched teeth, not opening his eyes to look over at the girl, "if your parents ditched you at some crummy orphanage. If you lived the life I lived, Tsukiko, maybe you'd understand why I'm so ticked off and don't want to find them. To me, they abandoned me and that's how I'll always see it. Because, unlike you, I never knew what family was. I was ditched, abused and hated. That's all there is to it."

His words stung, and Tsukiko didn't have the nerve to say anything else to him. Part of her understood his words, and told her she really didn't know what he had been through. While this couple left him at an orphanage, she was placed into a loving home. So no, she didn't know what he felt because she had always been surrounded by people who loved her while Akatsuki had not, and had never had, that. But there was also a part of Tsukiko that wanted to tell the boy how wrong he was, because everyone deserved to know where they came from.

After a while of silence, even though she was sure Akatsuki was asleep by then, she took a deep breath and decided to takea chance. Hesitantly, she reached over and lightly touched his arms in a comforting matter. But immediately she was met with a gruff grunt and Akatsuki roughly pulling his arm away from her then resting it in his lap instead of where it was lay before beside him.

Tsukiko sighed, and closed her eyes in an exasperated way, "Akatsuki-kun, I know you've been hurt, and I know you really want to blame them for it, but I'm sure they didn't do it to hurt you. Just give them a chance and I'm sure — "

Akatsuki scoffed, "I don't really feel like giving them a chance, okay? I just don't get why you want to go and see them so badly. Didn't they hurt you too!?"

"W-well. . ." Tsukiko stumbled over her words, her eyes slowly opening as an ashamed blush lightly spread across her face. She looked down at her lap, her hands neatly folded between her legs. "I guess so, but — !"

"Let's just drop it, alright?" Akatsuki said bluntly, his eyes remaining closed still. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Tsukiko didn't answer, and didn't say anything for the remainder of the trip. She occasionally sneaked glances at Akatsuki, but every time he would have his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, although she highly doubted that he was actually asleep. He just didn't want to have to answer her criticism and demanding questions. The only thing that proved this was the fact that when they finally arrived at the airport, the boy didn't need telling that they were there and was out of the vehicle before Tsukiko or the cab driver could inform him of their arrival.

Akatsuki paid the driver then removed both his and Tsukiko's suitcases from the trunk, handing the green one to Tsukiko. When they got into the airport, Akatsuki paused to remove the two tickets he had bought earlier online with his mothers credit card. He checked where they were supposed to go, and led Tsukiko over to the area. They were about to hand in their tickets and board the plane when a familiar voice called out to them and made them stop in their tracks. Simultaneously, the two teens turned around to see a black haired girl running towards them, waving her hands like mad as she called out their names again.

"Akimi-chan," Tsukiko began in an astounded voice, "what are you doing here?"

The young girl collapsed into Tsukiko's arms, making her stumble back a few steps. Akimi held her friend in a tight embrace; not crying, just holding.

"Promise me you'll come back," Akimi whispered into Tsukiko's ear, "Promise me you'll be safe. And call me when you get there, okay!?"

"I. . ." Tsukiko stumbled over her words, looking for the right thing to say. She couldn't believe the words coming out of Akimi's mouth. And the fact she had come all the way to the airport to tell her this? What was going on? Finally, Tsukiko smiled lightly and nodded into her shoulder, sighing deeply, "I will. Don't worry."

Akimi pulled away, smiling warmly at Tsukiko, "Just. . .be careful, alright?"

"Is that why you're here?" Tsukiko asked, confused, "To tell me to be careful? Come on, Akimi-chan, you know I will! And we'll only be gone for a few days."

"I know," Akimi bit her lower lip, "I just. . .I don't know. . .I have this bad feeling. Crazy, ne?"

"We'll be okay," Tsukiko simply reassured, giving Akimi a quick hug. "Nothing will happen to us, understand? I know we'll be alright."

Akimi smiled as she pulled away from Tsukiko. She nodded, "I know," then sighed heavily. She turned to Akatsuki, her smile quickly changing from her usual confident smileto a nervous and shy grin_. _"You be safe too, okay?"

"I-I will," Akatsuki answered quietly, his gaze shifting towards the ground.

"And. . .and make sure you come back, o-okay?" Akimi began to slowly blush and her voice was barely a whisper.

The faintest of blushes crept across Akatsuki's cheeks as he slowly nodded, "Y-yeah. . .I will."

Akimi began to nervously shift from her one foot to the other. Her gaze also fell to the floor as she bit her bottom lip again. She couldn't understand why he wasn't looking over at her and if anything, it was concerning her. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked back up at him. Slowly and almost hesitantly, she took a step towards Akatsuki and gently wrapped her arms around his body. Quickly, she felt him tense up and then slowly settle into her embrace.

"Please," she gently begged in his ear, furiously trying hard not to blush and keep the gesture simply friendly."Please be careful, and take care of Tsukiko-chan. We both know how much trouble she can get herself into. And just. . .just be safe, alright?"

Akatsuki, on the other hand, couldn't even try to conceal his growing blush as it rapidly spread across his face and for the life of him, he couldn't return the gesture. Nor could he form whole sentences together quickly enough, and when he finally was able to string a few words together it came out in staggers.

"Uhh. . .yeah, I. . .of course I will," he stumbled.

Akimi, satisfied with his answer, pulled away and remained smiling while desperately trying to push down the creeping blush that was demanding to make an appearance. She quickly said her farewells to the two as they boarded the plane, with Akatsuki still blushing like a young school boy.

When they found their seats and were settled in, Tsukiko couldn't help but turn to Akatsuki with a huge smirk across her lips. Only now was his blush slowly beginning to fade, but he was still unaware of the amber gaze on him and the evil smirk Tsukiko wore.

"You like her."

Those three little words made Akatsuki's face begin to glow bright red as his eyes widened and he began to choke on air. He turned to Tsukiko with a horror stuck look on his face. Quickly, perhaps too quickly, he shook his head in denial.

"No. . .I don't. . .wh-where. . .why do you think that?" he mumbled, his face reddening even more.

Tsukiko smiled sweetly, trying hard not to giggle at his childish responses, "Yes you do. You show all the signs: being extra nice and sweet to her, always stammering when she's talking to you, and not ever being able to keep your eyes off her until she looks at you. That, and it's sort of written all over your face, quite literally."

"I. . .no it isn't!" He said quickly, not correcting the rest of her accusations.

"Ohh, yes it is," Tsukiko smirked. "If you don't believe me, go look in a mirror. Go on. You look quite cute. . .just like a ripe tomato."

This made the boy turn an even deeper shade of red and caused Tsukiko's smile to widen even more. She didn't say anything more though, and waited for him to say something. Slowly, his blush began to dim and in its place was a sad pair of eyes glistening with regret.

"It. . .it doesn't matter if how I feel about her," he mumbled, looking sadly over to Tsukiko. "I already gave Hamamoto-san my answer when she asked me how I felt, and she accepted that answer. She doesn't like me that way anymore."

"Who says?" Tsukiko asked in a voice that dared him to argue.

"I say," he continued. "I missed my chance, alright? We're just friends now."

"Well _I _think she still likes you," Tsukiko answered innocently. "Why don't you just ask her?"

"I can't," Akatsuki answered sadly. "Believe me, all she thinks of me is as her friend."

"Demo — "

"She doesn't, Tsukiko."

Tsukiko stopped and dramatically fell backwards into her seat in all a huff just as the seat belt sign came on, indicating that the plane was about to leave. She clicked on her seatbelt, then angrily crossed her arms across her chest.

She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, "Kami-sama. . .you dense baka."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko dropped her suitcase onto the soft welcoming looking hotel mattress, then let herself fall onto the bed back first as she closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, taking in the rose-like scent of the room, then slowly exhaled. She smiled, "Finally, we're here."

Very quickly, Tsukiko learned that she most certainly did not like flying in planes. Both the take-off and the landing were rough and made her feel an extreme wave of nausea. Then to add to the little plane 'adventure', if you could call it that, she had found it impossible to sleep and had watched enviously as Akatsuki slept peacefully beside her for the entire trip, and she knew he hadn't been faking.

Oh, and did she ever want to yell out in anger. To end the trip off, Tsukiko had found the plane service horrible. When she had asked the plane stewardess for a blanket since she found the plane slightly cold, the woman had simply smiled sweetly and told Tsukiko that their plane did not carry blankets. And yet when the woman had moved to the back of the plane again, Tsukiko had looked over to see another young lady maybe a year or two older than her sleeping peacefully with a blue blanket close by her. She wouldn't have made it an issue, or had even known it was the plane's blanket to begin with, except in the corner, the material had the airline's symbol sewn into it.

It didn't take a genius to realize that Tsukiko was the least bit impressed and wished nothing more to do with the plane. Period.

"Oi."

Tsukiko turned her head with much difficulty, as it felt heavy and tired, and lazily opened her eyes towards her bedroom door. Akatsuki was leaning against the frame of the open door, smirking towards the sleepy girl.

"Already tired, are you?" He asked with a smug smile. "We just got here."

"Leave me alone," Tsukiko mumbled, her lips too numb to move much. "You slept the whole time on the plane, and I didn't."

"It's not like the trip was terribly long," Akatsuki chuckled. "Only a few hours. If anything, I should get some sleep, too. At this time in the morning, most people don't even think of getting out of bed usually."

Tsukiko groaned and turned her head away so she was facing the ceiling once more, then closed her eyes again and sighed. Akatsuki watched her peacefully for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled slightly. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. The hard hotels' soft mattress bounced slightly underneath his weight.

"So I'm guessing that you want to sleep for a bit before we go off hunting for these Lis, ne?" Akatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Tsukiko slowly nodded, and answered without even attempting to open her eyes as she slowly began drifting off to sleep, "Just a few hours, m'kay? I promise, and then we can get some breakfast before. . .yeah, m'kay? 'katsuki-kun?"

Akatsuki chuckled, then pushed himself off the bed with another small creaking sound. He looked over to his bed beside hers and sighed. He didn't really want to share a room, but the hotel was booked and their room was the last one available."Yeah, sure. I'm just going to ask the front desk something, and I'll be back up."

She didn't respond, as she was already gone to her own dreaming world. He smiled, and walked back towards the door, flicking the light off before he carefully placed his hand around the door knob. He looked back at the sleeping girl, gently smiling, as he whispered caring words before closing and locking the door behind him.

"_Imouto-chan_, yoi yume o."

XxXxXxX

"Okay!" Tsukiko said happily as she pushed open the hotel's main doors and ran out onto the sidewalk. She gave a quick look at the sight in front of her and smiled; they had found a hotel in the middle of Central Hong Kong, making everything seem closer but so much more expensive. She had almost died seeing the price of breakfast in the hotel, and was thankful that the package Akatsuki had gotten for them included their meals. As for where they were in the city itself, all the building were close together, ranging from tall office building and smaller shops. Looking at it now, looking for just one place seemed to be difficult but the sight still was amazing. "Let's go find them, ne, Akatsuki-kun?"

She stopped and turned around to see the boy just pushing open the doors. He squinted from the bright sunlight, stopping a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust to the brightness. When he was at least able to make out shapes again, he joined Tsukiko so they could walk through town together.

"So we're here," he told her matter-of-factly. "But how on Earth are we supposed to find them when we have no address?"

"Ah, young Akatsuki-kun, but we _do _have a name, ne?" Tsukiko smiled with a playful wink. "The Li Clan is huge! And they own most of Hong Kong. How will we _not _be able to find them?"

"I thought we both agreed that they may not be part of the Li Clan thing?" Akatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Let's just go with this for now, alright?" Tsukiko sighed. "It's our easiest bet right now, since Li is such a popular last name here. Who knows," she winked again, "we may just get lucky!"

Akatsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes, "If that's what you call it, then fine. Whatever."

Tsukiko glared at him, frustrated, and opened her mouth to say something and then quickly closed it. She sighed, knowing it was a lost battle. And then suddenly, pain and sorrow sunk into her for the boy as she looked over at him with sad eyes. He was back to his cold, hurt self; the part of him she felt like she was seeing too often these days. The boy she had met when he had first arrived to her school. Over the past month or so, after she had found out about them being related, he just seemed to become more angry but sad at the same time. He seemed to be in more pain than before, and all the more so whenever something was brought up with their parents. Their real parents. More and more she saw how much he was hurt by them, and the less and less he wanted to do with them. Still, some part of her knew she needed to find them and recognized that he _had_

to see them. Besides, she missed the kind and sweet boy she had known. The part of him he had down at the airport with Akimi — well, that he usually showed with Akimi these days — and the one she had seen before she fell asleep in the hotel room. She just missed him being that guy, instead of the angry one she so often met now.

Tsukiko sighed again, and looked away. She returned her attention back to their situation, and gave another glance around. This time, however, instead of being marveled by the buildings, she frowned. Although they were in the middle of downtown, and all the buildings were close together, she had only then just realized how large Hong Kong really was. She could only guess that the population of this city was as large if not larger than Tokyo, even during the nights in the large Japanese city.

The amber eyed girl began to look around, _really _look around, while continuing to walk at the steady pace her and Akatsuki were traveling at. After a bit, the whole time ignoring Akatsuki's confused stare and small mumbles, Tsukiko finally smiled and found a middle aged woman working at a floral shop. The shop seemed relatively empty, and the woman had just come out to water some flower bouquets in large black buckets out in the front. Tsukiko ignored the boy's ranting and confused questions, and ran over to the woman.

"Ni hao," Tsukiko said happily to the woman, trying to speak her best Chinese. "Could you please help us?"

The woman smiled kindly and stopped what she was doing. She placed the hose she was using onto the ground after shutting it off, then dried her hands on her apron before turning to the two Japanese teens, "What can I help you with?"

"We need some help finding someone," Tsukiko continued in the country's language.

The woman smiled and chuckled slightly, "I'll try my best. But this city is large, mind you."

"Do you know a Li Syaoran?" Tsukiko asked hopefully.

The woman frowned and rested one hand on her hip thoughtfully while tapping her other index finger on her lips. She continued to look down at the two, her eyebrows frowning as she tried to recall that name, "Syaoran. . .Syaoran. . .that doesn't sound Chinese. . ."

"U-umm. . ." Tsukiko struggled, not knowing exactly what to say next. She knew very little Chinese, even with the school class she was in, and had taught herself the last few phrases she had used when she had learned that the Lis were actually in China.

Suddenly, before Tsukiko could say anything else, the woman gave a small gasp, "Oh wait! Could you mean Li Xiao Lang?"

Tsukiko paused, trying to convert the Japanese-sounding name she knew into it's original Chinese state. After a bit, a small smile spread across her lips. She quickly nodded, something like joy leaping in her stomach, "Hai! Err. . .I mean, shi! Shi!"

The woman smiled, "Who doesn't know him? He's the president of Li Corp. I'm sure if you pick up a random magazine or newspaper he'd be in it, or at least there would be _something _about him."

Upon realizing the girl couldn't understand much of what she was talking about, the woman stopped and smiled sweetly, apologizing. She pointed towards a house — no, mansion, in the distance on top of a small hill just visible beyond the tall buildings.

"He lives there, up on Victoria Peak," she explained. "I can call you two a cab if you'd like to take you there."

Tsukiko nodded happily, able to follow the woman for the last part of her speech, "That would be great, thank you."

Tsukiko watched the woman walk off into her shop to call the two a cab. Then she turned to Akatsuki beside her, who was looking lost and confused about the whole thing.

"What was all that about?" He asked slowly and cautiously.

"She's calling us a taxi to take to the Li Mansion," she couldn't help but smile, switching comfortably back to her Japanese. Her smile only grew and she let out a small giggle as Akatsuki's jaw dropped from the news. She smirked at him, her eyes glistening with the gloating she was about to give, "Oh, Akatsuki-kun. . .what was the name of the Li Clan's leader again, please? The one that Ihara-sensei told you about?"

"Li Xiao Lang, why?" Akatsuki asked seriously. He watched, confused, as Tsukiko rolled her eyes and sarcastically placed her hands on her hips, waiting for the news to actually sink into his dense head. She began tapping her foot impatiently, until finally something seemed to click into the boy. His eyes widened and slowly he made a small 'oh' shape with his mouth.

"And if I remember correctly," Tsukiko continued excitedly, "that family tree you showed me showed that his wife's name was 'Ying Fa'. . .which is Chinese for cherry blossom! That's Sakura's Chinese name!"

". . .And then there's that baby-one baby-two thing. . ." Akatsuki muttered under his breath, not realizing that Tsukiko had still heard him.

The girl's head snapped towards him, "You saw that too then?"

Slowly, Akatsuki nodded. He sighed and roughly ran his fingers through his untamed hair, "This is becoming more and more bizarre, you know that?"

"Un, it's the whole 'no coincidence' thing again, ne? It's like someone wants us to find them!"

"Or it's like we're falling into a trap," Akatsuki said quickly under his breath.

Tsukiko, hearing everything he had said, opened her mouth to say something but the woman from the flower shop bursted out of the small building before she could. She kindly smiled to Akatsuki, then turned to Tsukiko to speak, "The cab should be here soon."

Tsukiko smiled back at her, "Oh, thank you so much!"

"Gambatta," the woman giggled at the two teens surprised expressions. She winked to them, "It's the only Japanese word I know."

Tsukiko smiled and thanked her again, learning that her name was Dao-Ming Yun, then the woman returned to her work in the shop. A few minutes after she left, a cab pulled up by the sidewalk and hailed Tsukiko and Akatsuki to climb in. The man driving the cab looked completely taken back and surprised when Tsukiko asked him to take them to the Li Mansion, but didn't push for any answers. When they got to the large house, he waited for his money before driving off and leaving the awestruck teens by the front gate.

The large iron-cast fence that ran around the house was by far amazing in itself. It was at least nine feet tall, and on both doors of the matching black gate wore the Li crest.

Akatsuki was the first to snap out of his daze, and began to look for a way in. Quickly he found a camera that seemed to be looking down at them on one side of the gate, and looking down a bit more at about arm level he found a small padlock and blank black screen. He nudged Tsukiko out of her dazed state and pointed towards the tiny security machine. Akatsuki walked closer to the pad and pressed a large square green button, creating a small buzz noise from the device. A few moments later, a man with dark glasses hiding his eyes and jet black hair appeared on the screen.

"Ni hao," the man said in a monotone Chinese voice, "what is your purpose at the Li household?"

Tsukiko struggled to put her sentence together, suddenly becoming nervous. Her palms turned clammy with cold sweat, and her tongue felt tied for a moment or two. "Umm. . .we-we're here to see the Lis."

"Do you have an appointment?" The man asked.

"Well. . .not exactly, but you see — !"

"Please book an appointment ahead of time," the man interrupted. "Thank you for visiting. Have a good day."

"No, wait!" Tsukiko yelled too late; the screen had already turned off and was blank again. She looked at the screen as if she had been slapped in the face, then slowly scrunched up her face angrily, trying not to scream or curse. Deja vu. . ..hadn't this happened before? She wanted to scream out in her frustration, but instead took three deep calming breaths and tried to think.

After a bit, when she felt calmed enough, she sighed and turned her attention to where Akatsuki had stood earlier, "Okay, so that didn't work. But I don't think we should. . ."

She trailed off when she realized the boy wasn't standing beside her any longer. Panic gripped her entire body as she began frantically looking around for him, her feet rooted to the spot she was in. Finally, when she was ready for scream out for him, she found him standing not too far away, partly hidden behind a tree. He was standing in front of part of the tall black fence, looking up thoughtfully at the top of it.

Tsukiko ran over to him and angrily smacked him on the arm, "Don't scare me like that again!"

She waited for a response or for him to at least acknowledge her, and frowned when he didn't move or say anything. She cocked her head to the side, confused, and asked, "What is it?"

"I didn't come all this way just to be turned away like that," Akatsuki told her, turning to look down at her with a smug smile, "We don't have magic for no reason, ne?"

"Oh!" Tsukiko smiled and nodded vigorously, "Right!"

Akatsuki smiled, "Here, give me a boost with wind. Then send yourself over."

Tsukiko nodded, something triumphant burning inside of her. He was right, of course; they hadn't come all this way for nothing, and they had to get over the fence one way or another. She took a small breath in to calm herself, then took her regular stance and spoke her spell. Using her steady hands, she moved the controlled wind so it picked up Akatsuki and gently lifted him over the fence. When he was close enough to the ground, the cloud of soft air disappeared.

"Daijoubu?" Akatsuki asked from the other side of the wall.

Tsukiko smiled and nodded, the wave of power rushing through her. The more she used her powers, the less tired she seemed to be after they were used. And this time, she didn't feel tired at all and suddenly she was thankful for the rough, constant exercises Kero and Yue had frequently forced on her and Akatsuki.

"Yeah," she smiled happily. "I'm fine. I'm coming over!"

Tsukiko placed the spell on her this time, and she gasped slightly when the wind swept her up and off her feet. Slowly, she began to float up into the air on a large cloud of light wind. She had to use all her will power just to not drop herself, and she frowned upon realizing it took more energy to use the spell on her than Akatsuki. Still, she carefully guided herself over the top of the fence and back towards the grass covered ground, allowing herself to be dropped a few inches from the ground and falling onto her bottom.

"You sure you're okay then?" Akatsuki asked again, helping her to her feet.

"I'm perfectly fine," she smiled, taking his welcoming hand and standing back up. "I honestly feel great."

Akatsuki chuckled slightly at her happy response as they made their way away from the grass and towards the pure black paved path leading from the entrance gates and towards the front door. Tsukiko began to look around in awe at her surroundings. Lush green grass was running on both sides of the path, and in the distance she could see a stone fountain springing out water. A beautiful full garden ran along the house, and one large cherry blossom tree was planted in the centre of the lawn to Tsukiko's right. She smiled, recognizing the particular breed of cherry blossom tree from Japan, and not only from Japan, but the same kind that was in front of Seijyo High.

When they reached the front step and stood in front of the grand door, it was Akatsuki who reached up and banged on the bronze dragon-head knocker three times, then stepped back beside Tsukiko to wait for someone to answer. Not even two minutes later, there was a small click meaning that the door was being unlocked, then it creaked open to reveal an older gentleman standing in the open doorway. He seemed like a kind man, with tidy aging grey hair, slanted eyes that squinted at the two, and a monocle sitting in front of his left eye.

"Good afternoon," he said politely in Chinese. "How may I help you?"

"We would like to see the Lis, please," Tsukiko repeated in Chinese. She was grateful that she was getting better the more she used the language.

The man paused, and looked down at them, opening his eyes wider, frowning with a confused look over his face. He stopped as if to think, then slowly closed his eyes again and continued to frown, "I don't remember being told anyone was arriving at this time. . .or anyone coming to the front gate. Did you come through the gate?"

Tsukiko paled, "Well. . .w-we. . ."

"But you have to had," he said a bit quieter to himself, making Tsukiko have to strain her ears just to hear him, "because only a Li can get over the barrier protecting the house, unless. . ." he paused, his eyes suddenly snapping open as he glared down at them. "Tell me, what are your names?"

"Tsu-Tsukiko. . ." the girl struggled, refusing to give their last names. "And this is Akatsuki."

The man gave a small gasp, his eyes seeming to widen even more. His attention darted from the boy, to the girl, and back to boy; particularly the boy. He looked at Akatsuki's eyes, and immediately knew what was going on. His heart seemed to stop beating, from both surprise and panic, and suddenly he wasn't speaking Chinese anymore, but instead Japanese, "You're. . .but you're supposed to be in. . .and. . .oh dear."

He paused uncomfortably, poking his head of the door and looking around frantically. After a moment, he looked back into the house then back at the teens. He ignored their confused looks and stepped aside to let them in, and continued to speak in Japanese, "Onegai, quickly step inside. Before someone sees you."

He rushed the two inside, then quickly shut and locked the door behind them. Once inside, he turned to them and gave them a small bow of utter politeness, "Kon'nichiwa. I'm Wei, Syaoran-sama's and Sakura-san's butler."

"Oh," Tsukiko smiled kindly, thankful that she could return to speaking in her first language. She returned the bow, "Dozo yoroshiku. Like I said before, I'm — "

"Tsukiko-sama and Akatsuki-sama," the man smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course. But, and pardon me for asking, how did you know? About all this? When Syaoran-sama came back to China all those years ago. . ." he paused and gently shook his head, "Gomen nasai, please forgive me. It's not my place."

Akatsuki frowned angrily, "So they really didn't want us, huh?"

"No," Wei smiled thoughtfully, sadly, "That was not it at all."

Wei looked over to the old antique grandfather clock leaning against the wall and carefully read the time. He paused before turning back to the waiting children, "They're out right now, but I assure you that they will be home soon. So if you would kindly follow me, I know where you can wait for them."

Tsukiko immediately began to follow the kind older man down the hall, but was stopped by the quick and sharp grasp onto her wrist. She frowned and turned around to see Akatsuki holding her back with an angry look she only knew too well by now.

"It'll be okay," she said gently, rolling her eyes when he only tightened his grasp on her wrist instead of letting go. "Honestly, just go along with it for once."

"Tsukiko — "

He was cut off though when she roughly ripped her hand away from his grasp and began running off to catch up with Wei. He starred off at her for a moment, furious with her, but then he sighed and also ran after the man. They were led to a small room just down the hall from the main front doors, with both an elegant and antique feel to it. There was an old looking victoria styled couch and a dark wood coffee table. Two fern bouquets sat in large hand painted vases on either side of the large french doors, leading outdoors. White drapery like netting hung over and around the windows.

"If you would wait here," Wei told them in a friendly way, "They shouldn't be much longer."

Tsukiko thanked him and watched him leave the room, gently closing the door behind him, before she walked over to the couch and took a seat. Akatsuki, on the other hand, refused to sit and found a comfortable place on the cream-painted wall beside the couch to lean against with his arms tightly crossed over his chest.

"Oh come on now," Tsukiko looked over at the boy and frowned, "Relax, would you? It's not like Li Xin is just going to pop out of nowhere and attack us."

"This is the Li Mansion," Akatsuki said angrily. "For all we know, this Wei person may be setting us up, and Li is really in the next room planning for our deaths. I mean, we haven't seen him for weeks, right, so it's possible he could he here since it's _their _mansion."

"Don't you know _anything_?" Tsukiko asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "First of all, he's not here because we would have felt his presence already. And he can't be here, because this 'Li Mansion' is meant for the family of the Li Clan's leader. So he can't live here."

Akatsuki raised an eyebrow, "And you know this _how _exactly?"

Tsukiko shrugged her shoulders, "I told you, the Li Clan is huge and major news. . .so I looked up some information about them before we came. I'm surprised you didn't."

Akatsuki rolled his eyes, "I'm telling you, Tsukiko, I don't think this was the best idea you've come up with. . ."

Akatsuki trailed off and looked towards the door, his cross arms loosening slightly. Tsukiko watched him for a moment, not understand why he hadn't finished his sentence. She was going to ask him what was wrong when her ears suddenly perked up, and she, too, turned her attention to the door and strained her ears to hear the conversation down the hall from them. It sounded like the voices came from the from door area, or at least in that direction.

"A-are you sure?" A woman asked slowly.

"Yes, ma'am," Wei's voice came next.

"But, so soon. . .I mean, we weren't expecting them until. . ." another man paused, then seemed to sigh heavily. Somehow, for whatever reason, Tsukiko could see the man pushing his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "Yes, thank you Wei-san."

There were two sets of footsteps coming down the hall and closer towards the room the two sat in. The one pair was clearly feminine, and they sounded like the clicking of heels, while the other set was a bit stronger and more defined; heavy but not clunky.

Tsukiko could feel the blood pumping in her ears as the footsteps got closer to the door hiding her and Akatsuki. She felt her heart almost stop beating when the noise stopped right outside the door, and she bolted up, standing, when a hand rested on the doorknob and began to turn it. And when the door opened after what felt like an eternity for her, she swore her breath got caught in her throat.

A young man and woman, looking as though they were no older than their mid-twenties, stepped into the room, looking both shocked and speechless with wide eyes at the two standing teens. Tsukiko could feel their magic as something comforting about the couple ran through her body. The woman, she could tell, had this pretty soft pink magical aura around her while the man's magical aura was a gentle dark green.

The man, who was nearly a head taller than the woman and Tsukiko, had thick messy chocolate coloured hair that seemed as though it refused to stay tame and had a pair of intense blazing amber eyes. He was wearing a charcoal black pair of dress-pants, a clean white collared shirt and a nice maroon tie that complimented his outfit rather nicely. He had the long sleeves on his shirt rolled up to his elbows.

The woman, who was the same height as Tsukiko, had beautiful honey coloured silky hair that just barelyy brushed her shoulders and large, gleaming emerald eyes. She wore a pretty pastel yellow halter-top sun dress with a white hibiscus flower pattern and strappy white two inch heeled sandals.

The woman's green eyes seemed even more surprised than the man's, Tsukiko thought oddly, and seemed a bit panic stricken as well. Her beautiful eyes began to slowly rim with glistening tears as she looked from Akatsuki to Tsukiko.

Tsukiko's mouth stayed slightly open as she desperately tried to search her mind for something to say. She wanted to say something, _anything_, but the room kept an eerie silence.

Finally, she took a deep breath and gave a small bow of acknowledgment to the two adults in front of her. She wanted — no, needed, to say something. So Tsukiko said the only word that she seemed capable of forming on her lips, "Kon. . .kon'nichiwa."

Li Sakura clasped her hands over her mouth and let the hot fresh well of tears spring from behind her eyes and flow freely down her cheeks.

XxXxXxX

**A **_**HUGE**_** thanks goes out to ****SilentCynara****, who did more than just edit this for me! She helped me so much with describing Hong Kong and fixing some things that I had put about the city and the plane that were incorrect. So thank you! I am SO lucky you were there XD**

**And again, thank you to ****Tsuki.Senpi**** for editing for me again. But I mean it Jade-chan, if you don't get your butt in gear and start writing again I'll hunt you down. . .and you know I will XDD **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter mina-sama! See, (winks) I told you I haven't forgotten about Sakura and Syaoran!! In the next chapter; the family is reunited! Hyuuu!**

— **Rai**


	19. Chapter 18: Unshed Tears

_**To my Betas (and then some)**_** — Eek!! Must...thank...awesome...BETAS!! I am so, SO, **_**SO**_** sorry to both of you! I know I was a huge pain sending you all those chapters at once and I owe you both BIG TIME!! Especially since I know I had stupid little mistakes I should've caught first or shouldn't have made at all (LOL...blames on lack of sleep XDD). Thanks for all your input and fixing all my stupid errors!! You guys rock and you know it! -Hugs-**

**Extra thanks to Nara-chan, who helped me HUGE with one scene in particular with Syaoran and Akatsuki. :) Thank you so much!! I love what you added!**

**And (Sorry! Gomen ne! Last one, I swear), thank you so much to Lorin-chan (CheeseyCraziness), who also read over this chapter and fixed some thing along with adding her own comments and suggestions. So even if you're not a main beta of mine, I really have to thank you for all your help! I love the extra beta-ing ;) Thanks so much! **

**So, a toast to the awesome girls known as ****SilentCyara****, ****Tsuki.Senpi**** and ****CheeseyCraziness****!! -Claps like a manic- Whoooooo!! :)**

-XxXxXxX-

_**Chapter eighteen: Unshed Tears**_

As soon as the Li couple walked into the room, without a single word spoken, Tsukiko knew that the two were her and Akatsuki's parents. Right away she was able to see the similarities between the two adults and the two teens, and even though she had seen movies and photos of the two, for some reason seeing them in person just made her see the similarities even more.

Akatsuki was obviously Li Syaoran's son, and could almost pass for an exact replica of a younger Syaoran they had seen in Seiju High's yearbook. They both had the same messy dark hair, strong and defined jaw line, and naturally tanned skin. And even though their eyes were different, as Akatsuki clearly had his mother's emerald eyes, the boy still had the intense and blazing gleam in them that Syaoran also had.

Tsukiko seemed to be more of a mix of the two parents than her brother, though. While the girl had the same petite body frame, creamy lightly tanned skin and graceful facial structure like her mother, there was a lot of evidence of Syaoran in her as well. Her eyes, even with them being big and gentle like Sakura's, was the man's dark amber shade and had a smaller hint of Syaoran's intensity hiding behind them. Her hair was the same chocolate shade that Syaoran's was as well, although it was much tamer like the woman's.

It was, in one word, amazing. All her life, Tsukiko had never questioned her features. Whenever someone would comment to her adoptive parents about their daughter's looks and how they couldn't see much of them in her, they would always laugh it off and say that Tsukiko looked very much like her grandmother. And she never really doubted it, because she had never met her mother's mother, who was the grandmother she was told she looked like. And, of course, she believed them. But now, it was just amazing with all the similarities. These two were without a shadow of doubt her biological parents.

Finally, after the stilled moment of silence, Tsukiko took a deep breath and gave a small bow of acknowledgment to the two adults in front of her. She wanted — no, needed, to say something. So Tsukiko said the only word that seemed capable of forming on her lips, "Kon. . .kon'nichiwa."

Li Sakura clasped her hands over her mouth and let the hot fresh well of tears spring from behind her eyes and flow freely down her cheeks.

Tsukiko stood back up upon hearing the woman give a light gasp before the crying freely. She didn't know what to say or do, but it ended up that she didn't need to. Sakura rushed over to the two and pulled them into a tight embrace, holding them as close to her as possible; mother and children. Tsukiko somehow knew that Akatsuki had probably stiffened in the woman's arms upon receiving the unfamiliar gesture, but all she could do was sink into the embrace and wrap her own arms back around Sakura, returning the gentle gesture.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Sakura whispered honestly. "_Never_."

Tsukiko was right; Akatsuki did stiffen, and he became even more rigid when the soft words left Sakura's lips and rang in his ears. His face became still and angry, "Let go of me."

Hesitantly, Sakura loosened her grip on both of them as Akatsuki pushed himself away from her and backed away closer towards the other end of the couch. Flames danced in his eyes as tears of anger rimmed his eyes. He glared at Sakura and Syaoran, who had stepped closer to be between Sakura and Tsukiko. Akatsuki balled up his fists and left them shaking at his sides.

"I don't want any of this! I hate this! I hate _you_!" Akatsuki yelled to the Li couple. "I don't want any of this! Both of you abandoned me, you abandoned _us_, and I don't give a damn what others have said about that not being true because it is! It did happen! You left me on those damn steps of that frickin' orphanage to rot, and all my life I could never understand why the hell parents wouldn't want their child. Heck, I _still_ don't understand that! All I could understand was that the two people who brought me into this world didn't want me, and because of that life I was living in Hell it seemed. I was abused and hated at that damn orphanage, and a loner. And my frickin' adoptive parents hated me even more it seemed! I was a possession, and item, something to show off to their rich snobby friends. And it was all because of you two! I hate you! I hate you bo — !"

Suddenly, Syaoran was standing in front of the boy with a furious look, towering over Akatsuki by several inches. He angrily grabbed the boy's upper arm and held him tightly, for many different reasons. One, being angry for his outburst which was apparent in Syaoran's eyes. But the other reasons remained concealed behind his hard amber eyes. And yet, Akatsuki really didn't seem to react; his angry face matched Syaoran's.

"Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko gasped, not realizing that Syaoran had left her side to be in front of Akatsuki before he was grabbed. As she screamed that, Sakura also screamed but for a different person, "Syaoran!?"

"Listen here," Syaoran growled, angry and annoyed. "Don't you _dare_ talk to us like that. Not when you don't know the whole story. You think we just woke up one morning and decided to ditch you and your sister!? What do you take us for!? We did it to protect you both, and you want to know another thing? It tore us apart, making that decision. We never got over it, always asking ourselves 'what if?', and never being able to find good answers for them. And it was especially hard on your mother! She cried herself to sleep every night for almost a year, and even after that I know she cried sometimes when she thought I wasn't looking!"

Akatsuki's expression softened a fraction, the tears of anger still rimming his eyes, begging to fall free down his face. . .not that Syaoran noticed, because his eyes were slowly becoming wet as well. "And I blamed myself as well. . .sometimes I wondered, if your mother hadn't loved me so much, would you two have been safer? I hate that the only way to keep you two alive was to separate you two and from us because Xin. . .he would never stop until he killed you two."

"You could have protected us!" Akatsuki screamed hysterically. "You both have powers!"

And to his shock, Syaoran looked as though he had been slapped. "We. . .Our powers, even combined, weren't enough to protect you two. . .we realized that reality the day he killed your mother's father and brother! Neither of us have slept well in sixteen years because we kept wondering how you two were doing, if the ones called your family loved you as much as we did, why we weren't powerful enough to keep you alive and with us. . . Kami, boy! It was because we loved you both so much that we stayed away from you, because even the slightest clue, we knew, would send Xin after you! And I knew. . .he would kill you both just for the pleasure of seeing me broken!"

Akatsuki's eyes were now open wide; Syaoran was crying softly, slow tears of built of frustration and sorrow trickling down his cheeks, and he did not look like a man who cried. . .ever. Sakura, who had been holding her breath the whole time now, had pain dancing in her own eyes for her husband. Syaoran had rarely cried, especially around her. He was always the strong one; the one who always stayed solid for her sake. Even the night they had watched Kero and Yue fly away with their beloved children, Syaoran had not cried. She was sure he had come close to it, but he still had kept his tears inside. And now, here he was, the Li Syaoran, slowly crying in front of not only her, but their children as well. The scene tore her heart in half, seeing him finally collapse by the years of built of frustration, sorrow and pain he had lived with everyday.

"Like your mother, I never wanted to let you go. . ." Syaoran began, trying to keep his gaze locked with his son's. "But if it meant you stayed alive, as compared to keeping you here only to have to watch you die. . .then a chance at life was the least we could give you. Don't you understand why we had to be out of your lives? What would you have done? Why do you think we never had any more children? Because every waking moment we thought of you two, and ever since we were forced. . ._**FORCED**_ to leave you, our lives have always been empty in some way! We have been in hell, just as you have. . .and we never stopped loving you both."

The tears that had swelled up in Akatsuki's eyes finally began to shed and slowly drip down his face, as he tried to keep his stiff and angry look but failed. Syaoran's eyes slowly softened with this, and he let go of the grasp her had on the boy's arm. Then, something that no one expected, Li Syaoran pulled Akatsuki into a calm embrace and held him close, more tears escaping his eyes and freely quickening their pace down his face.

"So until you know the whole story," Syaoran continued much calmer, holding Akatsuki close to him, never wanting to let go, "don't say such things."

Akatsuki slowly sank into the man's warm gesture. Shaking, he wrapped his arms around him and began crying willingly into Syaoran's shoulder, his whole body shuddering as he cried harder and harder. "I. . .because of all this. . .I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I just. . .I never had. . .or felt. . ."

"I know," Syaoran said softly and soothingly, rubbing the back of the boy's head, smiling at seeing how alike his son's hair was to his own. "I'm sorry."

XxXxXxX

"Arigatou, Wei-san," Sakura kindly smiled to the elderly man as he placed a tray of tea and home-baked cookies on the coffee table in front of her.

"Not at all, Sakura-san," Wei smiled back, then turned to leave.

Sakura leaned forward and poured herself some tea into a beautiful white china cup, rimmed with gold and with a wonderful cherry blossom pattern circling it. The steaming liquid didn't even touch her lips before she pulled it away and placed it back onto the tray with the smallest of sighs. She picked up the plate with cookies — the plate was part of the same set as the teacup — and offered one to Tsukiko, who was sitting to her left. The girl took a small chocolate cookie and thanked Sakura, then began slowly nibbling on it. Sakura smiled slightly, then turned to her right to Akatsuki and offered him one as well. He took one, but only held onto it. Sakura's smile grew just a bit as she set the plate back down. She turned to face Syaoran, who was sitting on a small oriental stool in front of her on the opposite side of the coffee table.

"So," Syaoran began. He roughly ran his fingers through his hair, something Tsukiko noticed was an exact replica of Akatsuki's habit, and sighed. "Now that we're all settled, I think it's time you two get some long deserved answers from us."

"Agreed," Sakura nodded her head. She paused, then frowned slightly and turned to look at Tsukiko with confusion crossing her face. "But there's just one thing I'd like to know, Tsuki-chan. Why did you want to find us so badly?"

"H-how. . ?" Tsukiko began wide eyed.

Sakura smiled, "Well, Akatsuki-kun didn't want to really find us, obviously," she paused and turned to look at the ashamed looking boy beside her. She smiled reassuringly at him, "Not that I blame you for being angry at all, Akatsuki-kun. In all honesty, we were originally going to hide Tsukiko-chan in the Tomoeda orphanage while you stayed in the Kyoto orphanage. We wanted you to be farther because you were in even more danger then she was. But Nanami-san and his wife came along, and they were going to adopt a little girl, and we took that chance. They had never met her, or you for that matter, and wouldn't suspect a thing. It wasn't favoritism, Akatsuki-kun, it just happened to work out that way. And in all honesty, Syaoran and I thought that you'd be safer in the orphanage, anyways, because we always believed you were in more danger than Tsuki-chan. Not only did the Elders presume you'd be the strong twin in magical sense, but also because you're the next heir to the Li Clan, as leader, and resembled Syaoran so much. Again, gomen nasai."

Slowly, he nodded and Sakura smiled again; he reminded her so much of a younger version of her husband. She paused, just enough time to turn back to Tsukiko and let the look of confusion settle back onto her face. "So I understand why he didn't want to find us, because none of this was fair to him. So that must leave you to be the one that wanted to find the parents who left you, ne?"

"But you left us for good reasons!" Tsukiko said quickly, then paused and frowned. "R-right?"

"Of course," Sakura smiled. "But still, you didn't know that then. And even now, you don't know the exact reasons other than it was to keep you safe. I'm just curious, so it's no reason to be nervous."

"I. . .I don't really know myself, actually," Tsukiko looked down at her lap nervously. "I know Akatsuki-kun's logic made sense; in our minds, technically you two did abandon us, didn't care about us and so why would we want anything to do with you? But no matter how many times he told me that, I just never truly believed it. No one gives up their children without a good reason, ne? So. . .I don't know. I guess I really wanted answers, especially about this Li guy. And nothing makes sense in my life anymore. In the past six months, I've learned that this crazy guy wants to have his fun of trying to kill me, I have powerful magic, the parents I grew up with aren't my real parents and I have a twin brother. My life had completely turned upside down, and no matter how hard I try I just can't make sense of any of it. So I wanted answers, and. . ."

She stopped and balled up her fists in her lap, bitting her lower lip nervously. Did she dare to continue? And let out the thoughts she had kept bottled up inside for so long? She didn't know if it was a good idea.

As if reading her thoughts, Syaoran reached across the table and gently took one of his daughter's hands into his own. He smiled to himself, realizing that her hands were small and fragile looking, just like her mother's. He ran his thumb over her knuckles reassuringly and waited until she looked up at him, then he gently squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"We are all here to talk," Syaoran told her calmly. "To straighten everything out, alright? You don't need to be so nervous right now."

Tsukiko nodded vigorously and took a small breath before continuing, "I can't really explain it. . .but all my life, I've felt this void. I love my parents, I really do, but it always felt like there was always something missing it my life. I still sort of felt empty and alone. So when I got asked out last year, I immediately said yes because I thought that he might fill that void, but even with a boyfriend nothing changed and I continued to ignore it. And then," she turned to Akatsuki and smiled, "I met Akatsuki-kun, and something felt different. As if something felt right. The void didn't fill, but I felt better. But as soon as we began looking into everything, and I saw your pictures in the yearbook. . .I just _knew _you were our parents! I just knew you were the reason why I felt that way. And I suddenly wanted to meet you, to know where I came from and who you were. I love my parents, I really do. . .but. . .I-I don't know, and I can't explain it any better! I just. . .I. . ."

Perfect, round tears formed in her gentle amber eyes and slowly began rolling down her cheeks. Tsukiko used the back of her free hand to wipe her tears away, and was grateful when she was handed a tissue to use instead.

"It's alright," Sakura said soothingly, handing her a tissue.

"D-does this make me a bad person?" Tsukiko's voice was small and shaking as she grasped the damp tissue in her hand. She looked into her father's intense amber eyes, which resembled hers so much.

Syaoran grasped her small hand harder and met the gentler version of his own eyes, "Never. Don't think that way."

There was a small pause, in which all Syaoran and Tsukiko did was stare at one another in the eyes. The tears had stopped, leaving a small trail of stains on the girl's cheeks. Syaoran smiled slightly, seeing the gentleness in Tskukiko's eyes. . . the same kind of gentleness Sakura had. The thought made him happy, as he had always wished that his daughter would resemble his wife more than him, and he was happy to say the least that even though her eyes were his, they still reminded him of the woman he had married.

"So, answers then?" Sakura asked with a small smile after a long pause. "It's the least we can give you."

Akatsuki nodded, "Yeah. Yue-san and Kero-san would only tell us so much, it's really annoying."

"Well, at least they're holding to their word. I was so worried that fur ball wouldn't, and. . ." the small smirk Syaoran had been wearing slowly disappeared as he let his sentence trail. He frowned, looking from one kid to the other seriously. "Where are Keroberus and Yue-san, exactly? We sent them over to protect you both, so why aren't they with you now?"

"They're back in Tomoeda, of course," Tsukiko answered.

"Nani!?" Both Sakura and Syaoran yelled angrily at the same time.

"Well if we would have told them that we were going to China," Akatsuki began to explain quickly, "they never would have let us come. So we sort of snuck past them. . ."

Syaoran cursed loudly, receiving a small glare from Sakura and he gritted his teeth together and growled angrily, "When I get my hands on that stuffed animal, I swear. . !"

"It was our decision," Tsukiko tried to tell him. "They didn't even have a clue that we were leaving. So it really wasn't their fault."

Syaoran opened his mouth when Akatsuki spoke before him. The boy looked straight over to Syaoran intensely, "But that's another thing. How did you know when to send over our guardians to help us? They both appeared the same time Li did. How did that happen? How did you know?"

"Yeah!" Tsukiko nodded in agreement as an old vision appeared in her mind again, when a woman's voice was heard and large yellow eyes were seen. _The woman spoke sadly to the golden eyed creature,__**'I can't see them anymore. . .'**_

"We used this special mirror," Syaoran explained to his children. "It's been in the Li family for years, once belonging to a great magician named Clow Reed who gave it to us, his mother's side of his family, when he died. Sakura here connected the mirror to both of you with these medallions she gave you the night we hid you. Through the mirror, we were able to watch over you whenever we wanted to."

"Why didn't you come over then when you realized Li was attacking us? Why only send over Kero-chan and Yue-san?" Tsukiko asked, not realizing that Akatsuki had stiffened halfway through the last part Syaoran had said.

"The mirror stopped working suddenly," Sakura began to explain. "I don't know what happened. . .but I had it so the mirror was split in two, one side showing you and the other Akatsuki-kun. That way I could just check in on you two whenever I felt the need to. But, one day, Akatsuki-kun's half began to fade, and slowly crack. The same day it started acting weird on us, it completely cracked and stopped working. About two months or so later, the same happened to your half, Tsuki-chan. And that was what scared me the most, was not being able to see you two. So I originally sent Kero-chan and Yue-san out to only check on you, but had to ask them to stay when they reported that Xin was around."

"But why didn't you come to us _then?_" Tsukiko asked, confused, still not looking over to Akatsuki.

"Because," Sakrua looked away, ashamed. She let her voice fall, "I prayed that he would just leave you alone when he realized Syaoran wouldn't run to your rescue. Maybe if her believed he. . .we. . .didn't care anymore, he'd just stop trying to hurt you. . ."

"But," Tsukiko bit her lower lip. She didn't want to hurt the couple, especially the woman who definitely seemed to hurt more than the man, but she was seriously curious of what had happened. She had lived a perfect life up to a few months ago, but _him_, on the other hand. . .

"Wh-what did you think when you watched Akatsuki-kun?" Tsukiko asked quietly. "He. . .he hasn't exactly had a grand life. . .didn't you ever realize that?"

Syaoran stiffened, looking like he had been slapped in the face again. He glanced over to Sakura, who had the same stricken face on, and sighed. "We realized it, yes, of course we did. And we never like it. I was actually the one having to restrain myself from flying over and not murdering that damn Iwakura couple. They can burn in hell for all I care."

"Syaoran!" Sakura gasped, darting her disapproving gaze over to him. "Don't say such things!"

"Well it's true," Syaoran shrugged. "I honestly don't care what happen to them. I was ticked at that orphanage for always putting Akatsuki-kun last, but that damn couple just put me over the edge. They treated him like scum! And don't start, Sakura, because I know you feel the same way."

Sakura's cheeks tinged slightly pink. She shook her head gently, muttering to herself about Syaoran holding his tongue around the children, before turning to face the boy seated beside her. She smiled slightly at a particular thought, "Demo, Akatsuki-kun, I have to say that I was always proud of you. You always held your ground, no matter who it was. And even doing so, you kept your respect to the Iwakuras, no matter how much you hated it. And. . .and even though you always spoke badly about us, you still held onto the charm I left with you. It really touched me. . . touched us, Akatsuki-kun."

"Charms. . .medallions. . ."Akatsuki thought thoroughly for a moment before he gasped slightly, his eyes widening. He stood up and carefully pulled down the right side of his pants slightly to reveal the burned skin-tattoo thing that resembled an old fashioned golden sun. "Did the medallion. . .charm. . .whatever it was. . .did it look like this?"

Sakura eyes it carefully before she slowly nodded and answered, "Hai, except that I placed a small silver star in the centre of your charm. And Tsuki-chan's was a moon, with a gold star. Like Yin and Yang; gold and silver," she gently traced the scar and frowned, looking up to Akatsuki, confused, "H-how did this happen? Why is it in your skin now?"

"Li," Tsukiko and Akatsuki asked at the same time.

"The night he found us, the charms seemed to burn into our skin," Tsukiko continued as she brought her fingertips up to lightly touch the spot where hers rested.

"And at that same time, the star you said was once there disappeared," Akatsuki finished as he pulled his shirt back down and pulled his pants back up, sitting beside Sakura again.

"I guess that makes sense then," Sakura slowly said as she turned to face her husband again. "I never saw Xin come up in that mirror, and then it just suddenly stopped working with them. The stars on the charms were what I used to connect the medallions to the mirror. So if they disappeared, then the mirror wouldn't let us see them."

"But," Syaoran began, confused, "It's still the matter of _why _the stars disappeared."

"Kero-chan told me it was my magic's way of protecting me, because I wasn't aware that I had any or how to use it. He said my body subconsciously protected itself by taking in the powers of the charm-staff thing. Maybe the star had to disappear so that my magic could protect me, as if a price. Or maybe it just couldn't absorb it," Tsukiko suggested.

"The charms were staffs?" Syaoran asked his wife with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura blushed, "W-well. . .in case they ever found out about their magic. They'd need a way to use it properly, ne, Syaoran?" She paused and turned to look at Tsukiko, then Akatsuki, suspiciously, "But if you two have no staff to use. . .does that mean you can both use your powers without a magical device like that?"

At the same time, both Akatsuki and Tsukiko nodded making Sakura smile and Syaoran beam at them. The largest smile ran across his face as his eyes lit up with pride and he nodded at them approvingly, "That's definitely our kids, Sakura. Haven't we been told that they're surpass us in magical abilities? Haven't we?"

"Hai," Sakura's smile also widened with pride. "I know. They were right."

"Now then," Syaoran said after a long pause, the smile still stretched across his lips, "anything else?"

Akatsuki and Tsukiko turned to each other and gave one another a knowing look, each being able to read the other's eyes perfectly. They wanted to know _everything_. They wanted to know who Li Xin was exactly and what had led to their parents having to hide them. And most importantly, they wanted everything to be cleared up and make sense. They were so close to their answers, the ones they had been waiting so long to hear, that both of the teens could taste them. They could see it in each other's eyes.

So Akatsuki slowly nodded approvingly to Tsukiko, who turned her gaze to meet Sakura's, then to Syaoran's, her eyes fully ablaze, "We want to know everything. Starting from the night you left us."

Sakura and Syaoran nodded, but it was Syaoran who spoke. "Of course, and you will."

Sakura's eyes became clouded as old memories stirred in her mind, "It was sixteen years ago this coming spring. . .and Xin had found us. . ."

Suddenly, Sakura was tossed back in time. Back to the worst week of her life, starting with the nightmare she had never wanted to see come true.

XxXxXxX

**Wow! I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter! I got the most reviews for chapter seventeen than any other chapter for this fic, besides the prologue (it was tied with the prologue's reviews)!! So thank you ****SO**** much to everyone who reviewed! It really encourage me to keep writing this fic and tells me that I'm doing something right. So thanks again! You all rock!!**

**:) So I'm back from vacation (hehe...something I forgot to mention at the end of the last chapter -bows- gomen nasai!!) I was on vacation with my family for the past week, and that's the main reason why this chapter wasn't up until now. But I'm back!! And I promise that the next **_**TWO**_** (that's right...TWO!) chapters are done and just need to be edited, and I promise that the next two chapters won't discourage you ;) Let's just say; **_**I think it's time to know what happened...and bring our beloved Sakura and Syaoran back in the picture!!**_** Whooo!!**

— **Rai**


	20. Chapter 19: Back in Time, part one

_**Important A/N —**_** Okay, so this chapter basically starts off where my prologue left off ;) Just please keep that in mind!!**

_**Chapter nineteen: Back in Time, part one**_

**_-sixteen years before-_**

Sakura's eyes became clouded as old memories stirred in her mind, "It was sixteen years ago this coming spring. . .and Xin had found us. . ."

XxXxXxX

"It's for the best, Sakura," was all Syaoran could say, although he wasn't sure if he spoke those words to comfort his love, or more so himself. "They'll be safe. Yue-san and Keroberus-san will take care of them."

"I know," Sakura's voice was scarcely a whisper. "But it still hurts, Syaoran. And I'm afraid it always will. . . that I'll always feel this way. It'll never go away."

Syaoran leaned forward and rested his lips atop of his wife's head. "I know." He said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "I know."

He held onto her, trying to comfort her in every way he could. He was thankful that his wife wasn't the crybaby she once was when they were younger. No, although she had cried earlier she stayed still and held her tears in now. And part of Syaoran knew that she was doing that for his sake, making him feel guilty.

And yet, the same question was running through both Sakura's and Syaoran's minds; was what they did the right choice? Did it have to come down to this? Giving up their only children, one to strangers and the others to mere employees? But it had to be, what else could they do? They had tried everything else to protect the twins once they were born; getting Eriol to help put strong barriers around the house, having either Eriol and Tomoyo or Syaoran at home with Sakura and the children at all times, Eriol teaching Sakura even more advanced magic. . .and yet Xin had still managed to find them and rip them apart. And the three of them — Sakura, Syaoran and Syaoran's mother, Li Yelan — had been trying to plan this for nearly a month, in case Xin ever found them. It was their last resort, and sadly they had to use it.

After a bit, something pricked Syaoran in the neck as if warning him. It wasn't a feeling like he was being watched, but nevertheless he looked around for Xin carefully before realizing the sensation was his mind trying to warn him about something else. He gently pulled Sakura away and took her hands into his, trying to keep her calm. Not like he really needed to; Sakura wasn't the kind to go ballistic at any point in time, but he still felt the need to do so. To comfort her, as a husband should.

"Sakura, hun, we have to go now," Syaoran spoke softly, choking back his own tears still.

Sakura's eyes widened rapidly as if not understanding, as if forgetting something. "Na-nani!?"

"This was always part of the plan, remember?" Syaoran asked gently. "We have to leave, and go through with the second part of the plan Mother set up. It'll keep them safer."

"I can't," Sakura whispered harshly. "I have to stay here! Please, Syaoran. . .let's just stay here."

Syaoran shook his head, "Iie, I'm sorry, but you can't. We can't. I won't let you, because it'll put them. . .and you. . .in even more danger and I don't mean physically, Sakura. It'll just rip you apart even more, because you'll want to go to them. And they'll be safe. After all, they have those charms, ne? Your magic's never failed you before, so why now?"

"Demo — !"

Syaoran squeezed her hands slightly, reassuringly, "Sakura, I love them and I want them to be safe as much as you do. That's why we decided this, because it would protect them no matter how we feel. But I also love you, and although I know it hurts because it's killing me, I can't see you living here day after day, tearing yourself apart and having to resist going to see them. It would ruin everything, Sakura. Including your life. . .and I'll be damned to see you turn into a person like that."

"Syaoran. . ." Sakura sighed lovingly, squeezing his hands back.

"I refuse to let _any _harm come to you, Sakura. I know it'll still hurt not being here. . .but it'll hurt even more staying. So we're going along with the rest of the plan," Syaoran told her. "Besides, you've connected the charms to Clow's mirror, ne? The mirror is over in China, so we have to go there to be able to keep an eye on them, alright, sweetie?"

Sakura slowly nodded and let him wrap her arms around her, holding her tightly against him. She wanted to cry, oh God she wanted to cry hard, but she thought she couldn't. She wanted to stay strong, for Syaoran, just as he was staying strong for her. So she took a deep breath to calm herself as she felt Syaoran gently kiss the top of her head. Then he pulled away and slipped his hand into hers, leading them out of the forest and back to the road.

"I know that Xin won't dare harm you," Syaoran said quietly, "At least, not kill you. He won't want to hurt you — at least, not physically — if he doesn't have to, because he. . ." he trailed off, his body shaking in rage. He felt Sakura squeeze his hand, trying to comfort him, so he sighed and continued. "Still, I wouldn't trust that slime ball. Although he may not want to, he could still hurt you just to get to me since he can't through the twins anymore. Mother should realize by now what has happened, so we'll leave and I'm sure she'll have everything ready for us when we get there, okay?"

When they got to the sidewalk, Syaoran looked up and down the street. He sighed and pushed his hand through his unruly hair in frustration when he quickly realized the street was empty. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled for a cab to come pick them up. "We're leaving for Hong Kong tonight."

"Demo. . ." Sakura slowly began, making Syaoran turn to face her again. Her eyes widened with concern and panic as something popped up into her mind. She grasped her husband's hand tight and looked pleadingly into his amber eyes. "Demo, Syaoran, if he can't harm you through the children. . .and he won't hurt me physically, wh-what if he tries to hurt me in a different way? To get to you?"

"Like?" Syaoran asked as a car pulled up beside them and honked for them to climb in. He told the driver to wait a minute by putting up his index finger, and continued to carefully listen to Sakura.

Sakura's voice cracked, and it was so quiet Syaoran had to strain his ears to hear her. She simply said, "Onii-chan. . .otou-san. . . and Tomoyo-chan, a-and Eriol-kun."

The driver leaned on the horn, clearly becoming impatient with the couple. Syaoran shot him a glare and cursed loudly enough for the driver to hear him. The driver grumbled something then shut off the car's engine. Syaoran turned back to his horror-stuck wife, his eyes also widening with concern.

"We'll call them as soon as we land in Hong Kong, okay? I'll book tickets for all of them as soon as we get to the airport. And then they'll board a plane and follow us. We'll call your brother and father first, and get them to come first. Then Tomoyo-san and Hiiragizawa will come later. If we do it in staggers, it may be safer, alright?" Syaoran smiled at her reassuringly, then said a little more quietly, "I promise, they'll all be safe."

"You promise?" Sakura asked, her gaze searching desperately into his. "You promise me they'll be safe?"

Syaoran forced another small smile for her, then he leaned down and quickly but gently kissed her on the lips. He whispered to her that he promised again, and waited for Sakura to respond before he opened the cab door for her and let her crawl in before himself. When he was in, he told the driver their destination and ignored the confused look the driver was giving them. It was odd, he thought, that two young people wanted to go to the airport so late at night without any luggage. And the poor woman looked as though she was about to cry. But, money was money so the driver turned back on the vehicle and pulled away from the curb.

Sakura looked out of her window at the passing scenery in a daze. She felt Syaoran's warm hand gently rest on top of hers, and his soothing thumb running across her knuckles. But it still didn't help.

It was going to rain, whether anyone realized it or not. And when it rains. . .it pours.

XxXxXxX

The door gently clicked, signalling it was unlocked, and Syaoran pushed it open. He stepped in and turned on the light to the hallway, as it was still dark with the night outside. He smiled slightly, seeing that everything was ready for them, and looked back to see his wife carefully stepping in, rubbing her eyes to adjust to the bright indoor lights.

"See?" He told her, holding out his hand for her to take. "I told you Mother would already know what happened. She's already got the house ready, and Wei-san is probably on his way here as we speak."

Sakura smiled weakly and took hold of Syaoran's hand, "The house looks nice. . .just like I remember it."

"And I'll get our stuff over from Tomoeda as soon as possible," Syaoran told her. He turned to look at the old grandfather clock in the hall to read the time, then turned back to Sakura. "And your father and brother's flight is leaving in just under forty-five minutes, so they'll be here before lunch, alright? When they get here, we'll call Tomoyo-san and Hiiragizawa."

Sakura nodded and gently hugged him, leaning against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. She took a deep breath, and almost choked on the thick metallic sent still coming off of Syaoran. She exhaled, and her voice remained calm but quiet, "Arigatou, Syaoran."

Syaoran leaned down and soothingly kissed the top of her head, "Anything for you, Kura. You don't need to thank me."

Sakura squeezed him lovingly, then pulled away. She tried her best to smile at him, but found she couldn't, not even a fake smile. So instead, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his.

"I'm going to go upstairs, okay?" She told him. "I have dirt all over my hair, and I need clean clothes."

"Okay," Syaoran said, leaning down to gently kiss her again. "I'll go make some breakfast for us."

"Actually, Syaoran. . .I-I'm really not that hungry," Sakura said quietly.

"Sakura," Syaoran said sternly. "You still need to eat."

"I-I will!" She promised. "Just. . .later, okay?"

Syaoran hesitated as he watched his wife walk away from him and up the long staircase. He hated seeing her like this. It was almost like her eyes looked defeated and vulnerable, something he had never seen in her before. And suddenly, Syaoran began to really think about how much of a toll hiding their children would take on Sakura, and if she would ever be able to get past it. Every since they were little, Sakura had always seemed the mothering type. And even when they were in high school and university, Sakura had always wanted children.

He remembered how she would talk about wanting a little girl that looked like Syaoran, and how she would spoil her daughter. She would always end up blushing, and apologize to Syaoran for bringing up the uncomfortable conversation of children when they weren't even married yet. But in truth, Syaoran had always enjoyed listening to her talk about their future children, and would cling onto every word she said. Every name she said she liked, how she would describe their children's features and personalities, and how she would laugh when she would begin describing the clothes Tomoyo would make for them. Every since they got engaged, Syaoran knew that Sakura would want children no matter what, and would most likely want them as soon as she could, seeing as how she would squeal every time she saw a young toddler or child in the park.

But now, Syaoran's heart pulled. Sakura, the one born and destined to be a mother, was now no more in arms reach of her children. They were with people they didn't know. Even the Nanamis they didn't know extremely well, since the husband was only an employee of Syaoran. The thought even made Syaoran's stomach turn and twist. And if it did that to him, how was it tearing his darling wife apart? She knew the Nanamis a lot less than he did, and neither of them knew who was in that orphanage their son was now at. But if they had placed the twins into the homes of Sakura or Syaoran's family or friends, surly Xin would find them easier and have no problem killing the people who were protecting them. Knowing Xin like Syaoran did, he'd search the ones closest to Sakura and Syaoran first. But now he had to wonder, would the ones caring for his children love them, like the Li couple did? No, Syaoran thought grimly. No one could love them like they did. They loved them so much, they made the ultimate sacrifice for them.

XxXxXxX

Sakura shed her clothes and turned off the hot water running into the bathtub. She took a deep breath, breathing in all the steam she could before stepping into the water. She gasped slightly at first, not realizing how hot the water was, before adjusting to it and slipping in the rest of the way. She laid down, leaning her back against the tub's end, and let the soothing water surround her. She closed her eyes, and let the steam and hot water drift her away from her surroundings, to her own world of dreams.

_A sixteen year old Sakura was gently rocking back and forth on a swing, looking down at the beautiful ring on her right ring finger while waiting for her boyfriend to return with their ice creams. It was a gorgeous white-gold band, with an emerald in the centre and six small teardrop cut diamond around the jewel to shape them into a flower. She blushed, thinking about what he had told her the night before._

"_**It's a promise ring," Syaoran told her as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "It's a promise that one day I'll marry you. And when we're ready, that ring will turn into your engagement ring. I love you, Sakura, and I don't want there to be any other woman in my life. You'll always be the one I want."**_

_The teenage girl blushed harder, then smiled even more. He loved her. And she loved him. And when he turned eighteen since his birthday was after her's, the ring would become her engagement ring, and then they would get married. For Sakura, it was a dream come true. Every since they began going out when they were twelve years old, she had known he'd be the only one. The one she was destined to be with._

"_Lao jià," a strong voice said in thick Chinese above Sakura._

_Sakura's head jolted up as she tried to hide her blush. A boy about her age with dark hair and dark, almost black, eyes stood in front of her and peered down at her. He wore no smile, and if anything his face showed no emotion or expression._

_Sakura forced a small smile, and stood up. She folded her hands in her lap and gently shook her head to the boy. She apologize in her own language, then tried to speak in her best Chinese, "Gomen nasai, wo bu shi Zhong guo ren."_

_The boy smiled wickedly, his bangs sweeping in front of his cold eyes then answered in perfect Japanese, "I know."_

_Before Sakura could answer, the boy was inches away from her, his lips pressed and locked against hers. Her jade eyes widened in horror and he pushed her mouth open for entrance, and held on tight to her shoulders so that no matter how much she squirmed and tried to push away, she couldn't — he was too strong for her. For some reason she froze, and didn't use her cards to help her although later questioned herself why she didn't. The boy groaned into the kiss, roughly deepening it and pushing his tongue farther into her mouth. _

_Suddenly, his eyes also widened and he jumped back as he gave a small yelp of pain. He pressed a finger to the tip of his tongue, smiling oddly as he pulled back and saw the droplets of fresh blood. He looked back over at the girl with determined eyes as she stood there, her eyes still with a dazed and frightened look lurking in them. Her body shook violently as she looked at the boy, not believing what had happened._

"_What. . .wh-why. . ?" She shook quietly. "D-do I know you?"_

_The boy smiled, making sure his chilling dark eyes looked into her bright and innocent ones, "No, you don't know me."_

"_Wh-why. . ?"_

_The boy continued to smirk, "Because I can, and I because I know it'll hurt."_

_Sakura felt a chill go through her tiny body, as she quickly hugged herself in a protecting stance, wishing for him to keep away from her, "Wh-what do you mean? Hurt who?"_

_The boy looked behind him, and chuckled coldly, "Here he comes."_

_Sakura looked over with horror to see Syaoran exiting the ice-cream parlor and trying to make his way across the street again. Suddenly, she trembling became more violent. Her eyes darted back to the boy, who was walking away from her with a pleased smirk across his face._

"_W-wait!" Sakura shouted to him._

_The boy didn't turn, but spoke in a low and harsh voice, "He won't want you now, Kinomoto. You've kissed someone else," he turned his head to see the frightened look in her eyes and smirked, "I'll be seeing you again, Kinomoto Sakura."_

_Now it was suddenly two years into the future. Sakura had not seen the strange boy again, and she was on her way to Hong Kong with Syaoran. She was planning on moving in with him since their engagement ceremony was arranged to take place the following week, and attend the Hong Kong University for her teaching degree. They arrived at the Li Mansion, and Yelan rushed over towards them. Syaoran, after arguing with her for the past year, had convinced his mother that she could stay living in the Li Mansion even after he took his rightful place as the leader, until she wanted to move out._

"_Xiao Lang. . .Sakura-chan," Yelan smiled slightly and hugged the now eighteen year old girl. "I trust your plane trip was okay?"_

"_Yes, thank you," Sakura smiled. In all honesty, Sakura hated travelling on a plane, and always found that the take-offs and landings caused her stomach to become upset. _

_The woman turned to her son, her smile sinking, "Xiao Lang. . .there is something you need to know before you go inside."_

_Syaoran also frowned, seeing the distress in his mother's eyes, "What is it?"_

"_Xin is here," Yelan told him. "His father has asked if he can stay with us until he can settle into an apartment. He intends to go to university here."_

"_What!?" Syaoran raised his voice in rage. "Why is he here? Why isn't he going to school in Shanghai and staying with his own family!?"_

"_He'll be staying in the spare room," Yelan continued. "I don't want to upset the Elders, as they are already angry about you and Sakura-chan being together, and Xin's father and grandfather are among the Elders. Understand where I am coming from, Xiao Lang."_

"_Yes," Syaoran sighed. "I know. I know. Where is he now?"_

_Yelan led the couple to the elegant living room, full of comfy looking antique-style couches and a beautiful glass coffee table. The hard wood floor matched the wood on the arms of the couches perfectly. Beautiful bouquets of ferns and lilies rested on either side of the two main and largest couches, and a crystal candy bowl rested in the centre of the coffee table. _

_In the centre on the largest couch sat a young man about Sakura and Syaoran's age. He stood, and smiled at Syaoran as they made their way towards him. He had broad shoulders, dark hair and eyes that seemed colder than the ocean. _

_Sakura stopped in her tracks as his piercing eyes looked her over. She had seen this boy before, and the memory of him made her heart stop and her blood run cold. _

_Syaoran extended his hand politely and shook the young man's hand, "Welcome to Hong Kong, Xin. I hear you're staying with us?"_

"_That's right," the young man, Li Xin, nodded. "Just for a few weeks, mind you. Until I can find a half decent apartment and am able to move into it."_

_Sakura slipped her hand into Syaoran's and squeezed it, not being able to look away from the dark pair of eyes staring at her. Her voice was almost inaudible, "Syaoran. . ."_

"_Oh," Syaoran smiled and looked down at Sakura lovingly, missing the worried and tense look she had on. "Xin, this is my fiancé, Kinomoto Sakura."_

_Xin's smile grew wickedly as he extended his hand forward and took her hand into his. Like a gentleman, he raised her hand and kissed the back of it. Then he looked her in the eye, "It's good to meet the woman who will be marrying our next great leader. I'm honoured, Kinomoto."_

"_Syaoran!" Sakura squeaked again as she tugged on his hand. She looked up to him, panic dancing in her eyes. _

_This time, Syaoran seemed to notice. His eyes grew with concern, and he turned his complete attention to his girlfriend, "Sakura, what's wrong?"_

_Her eyes shifted to Xin, then back to Syaoran. He seemed to understand, and excused them to talk in private in the hall. He closed the sliding door to the living room, and turned to Sakura. He took both her hands into his and looked at her straight in the eye, then asked her again what was wrong. _

"_That's the man who kissed me by force last time we were here!" Sakura told him quickly. "I'm sure of it! Who is he, Syaoran? How is he related to you?"_

"_That's the guy!? Xin!?" Syaoran yelled. "I'll kill him! That son of a b — !"_

"_Syaoran!" Sakura cut him off before he could finish his murderous thoughts of Xin and looked at him in the eyes, her eyes begging for an answer. "Who is he?"_

"_He's a cousin of mine," Syaoran began to explain. "We've never gotten along."_

"_Why?"_

_Syaoran took a deep and long breath before continuing. He pulled his hands away from Sakura's and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "In the Li Clan, there's supposed to be only one boy born with magical powers, usually the son of the last leader since the magic is passed through the blood line, but for some reason Xin and I were both born with powerful magic, him being born only a week before me. And the Elders didn't know who should become their heir; the one born first or the one with the previous leader as his father. So we both trained for the title of heir to the Clan, and when you released the Clow Cards, the Elders decided it was time to make their decision. To settle it, Xin and I had to fight it out using only magic. I ended up winning, but just barely because we were practically equal in magical strength, and I was declared the one fit to become the heir and go to Japan to get the cards. Xin was then regarded as another child in the Li Clan after that, and his magical powers were basically ignored by the Elders afterwards, except by his father, who also believed that his son was supposed to become our leader."_

_That night, as Sakura laid in her bed trying to go to sleep, an unwelcome visitor walked into her room. She heard the door creak open and felt the dark grey aura walk into her room, and yet she wasn't terribly afraid. She felt her bed creak as the person sat down, and it was then that she decided to turn over to see Xin sitting beside her on her bed. She sat up, forcing herself to ignore Syaoran's orders to call him if Xin was to visit her, and turned on the lamp beside her. _

_It was then that Sakura really looked at him and took notice of his features. His hair was dark, maybe just a tone darker than Syaoran's, but slightly neater. His eyes were stone cold, but even though they were black she swore she could see just a touch of blue in his eyes. Taking another glance, she realized his eyes weren't actually pure black, but a very dark navy colour making them appear black. A shiver ran down her spine; dark and cold like the bottoms of the deepest ocean. _

_She felt like smacking herself; how had she not seen the similarities between Syaoran and this man before? When she had first seen him she should have realized they were related, because Xin resembled Syaoran so much. His eyes and hair were different, but he had the same broad shoulders and strong jaw line. Even his eyes were the same shape. _

"_What do you want with me?" Sakura finally asked him. "Why did you kiss me two years ago?"_

"_Because I knew you were with Xiao Lang," Xin responded coldly. "And I want to hurt him. It seemed the best way to do that is to go through you."_

"_But why?" Sakura asked._

"_Because he took away everything I ever wanted," he answered honestly. "I was supposed to go to Japan for the cards. I was supposed to become the next leader. And what does he do? He goes to Tomoeda, fails to get the cards and falls for you."_

"_But that was years ago," the young woman continued in a strong voice. "So why hurt him now?"_

"_Because I can, and I will. Through you," Xin said boldly. He leaned forwards, towards Sakura, and stopped inches away from her face. He let his warm breath tickle her neck as he looked at her straight in the eyes. Some part of him admired but hated the fact that she showed no fear in her eyes. He leaned a bit closer, and whispered against her lips, "I will make you mine."_

_Sakura gently pushed him away and looked into his eyes, "I love Syaoran, and nothing can change that."_

_Xin chuckled coldly as he pushed himself off the mattress. He looked down at Sakura with determined eyes, and smiled wickedly, "We'll see about that, Sa-ku-ra."_

_Sakura watched him leave, and waited until she felt his aura back in his own room across the hall from her own, before pulling the covers off herself and walking towards the hallway. She opened to door to Syaoran's room beside hers. They weren't allowed to sleep in the same room until they were officially engaged, and slipped under the covers beside him, ignoring the rules the Elders had told her earlier that day. She felt Syaoran turn towards her and, while still asleep, wrap his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him, into a position in which she was being spooned against him._

Sakura woke with a start, feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Syaoran looking down at her with full concern as he pulled his hand away and knelt by the tub beside her. Sakura didn't understand why he looked so upset, until she realized that the water was no longer hot, but rather freezing cold. And the time on the clock told her that she had been in the bath for nearly two hours.

"I've been calling you from the other side of the door for a bit now," Syaoran explained. "I was beginning to get worried about you."

"Gomen nasai," Sakura said sheepishly. "I guess I dozed off."

"As long as you're alright," Syaoran answered, and then mentally corrected himself. _Or at least, as alright as you can be right now. _

Syaoran stood up, and it was then that Sakura noticed that his hair was no longer tangled with leaves, blood and dried mud from the Penguin Park's forest — they had hidden in there since, even if Xin did wake and realized they were in the forest, because of the many presences, Xin never would have been able to find their direct position — and realized he must have showered in the bathroom connected to their bedroom. He was also dressed in clean clothes: worn jeans and a fiery red pullover sweater.

"Wei arrived about half an hour ago," Syaoran explained. "And Mother said she would be sending over a few more maids to help us at least for the next few days. I've already eaten, but I can make something for you to eat, how about it Sakura?"

"I'm really not hungry," Sakura told him again.

"You can't starve yourself — " Syaoran began to warn her when he was cut off.

"I will," she reassured him. "Later, I promise. Are Kero-chan and Yue-san back yet?"

Syaoran sighed, somewhat angry that he couldn't get her to eat. He refused to allow her to starve herself. He couldn't stand to see his children and wife disappear from his life. He wouldn't let that happen, ever.

"Keroberus just arrived not even ten minutes ago, but Yue-san is still out there. Do you think he's okay to leave Tsuki-chan on Nanami-san's doorstep? I mean, as Yukito-san, he was fairly attached to the twins," Syaoran stated.

Sakura sighed, "I think so. I just hope everything's okay, and Xin hasn't found them."

"He wouldn't have," Syaoran forced a small smile, "you said the charms would protect them, keep them invisible to Xin. They'll work, and your powers haven't ever failed you before."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes again, "I just hope that the charms will hold up. I did the best I could, but something wasn't right when they left. Hopefully they won't grow weak enough for Xin to be able to pick up their auras."

Syaoran sighed and bent down to lightly kiss Sakura on the forehead, making her open her eyes. He tried to smile down at her, trying to comfort her, as he gently tucked a strand of her damp hair behind her ear.

"I'll wait for you downstairs," he told her. "Mother should be here within the hour to bring that mirror into the house. She had to beg the Elders for it, but they see it as a piece of junk and eventually gave it to her, thinking it was a joke that she'd want it."

"Okay," Sakura nodded, sitting up and leaning forward to get the shampoo.

XxXxXxX

After her bath, Sakura went to their bedroom to change. She was just going to get dressed when she realized they hadn't brought anything to wear, but smiled when she walked into the room and saw a pair of jeans, a soft pink tank top, a chocolate coloured light zippered sweater and clean undergarments laid out on the bed. She made a mental note to thank Wei, as she suspected that he was the one who had brought the clothes for her and Syaoran.

She quickly changed into the clothes she was provided, then walked back out to the hall and towards the stairs to go down them when something caught her eye. A closed door, just like the rest of the doors in the hall, but this one caught her attention more. Hesitating, knowing she really should be going downstairs to Syaoran, she walked towards the door and turned the handle, pushing it open.

She gulped down her tears, seeing what was before her, as she stepped into the room. She stopped in the centre of the room and took a deep breath, desperately trying to keep her tears at bay. The room, one could tell, was the nursery. The walls were painted a light yellow, making the room looking bright and cheerful. The room was full with light wooded furniture, unlike the rest of the house with the dark wood. On one wall was a practically unused changing table and dresser. The closet door was open, revealing the empty hangers. In a corner of the room was an empty wicker laundry basket, and only one of the drapes were closed. The other remained open, shedding light into the room.

And on either side of Sakura, were two cribs. Identical to each other, they both had soft silk red sheets and a beautiful silk red baby comforter with an amazing oriental circle carefully stitched into the centre of the blanket. A small white teddy laid on the small matching red pillow, one with a pink bow and the other with a blue bow.

Sakura sighed heavily, remembering the only time her children had actually slept in the cribs. Syaoran had been forced into coming to Hong Kong only a week after the twins were born, the Elders demanding that he and Sakura bring the children to them for evaluations; a time when the Elders would examine the Li Clan leader's children and test them for any sorts of magical powers. They had only stayed two nights in Hong Kong, just long enough for the Elders to assess the young twins and happily approve of both of them for having strong powers, while blessing the boy twin, Akatsuki, with the rights to become the next Li Clan leader.

Her eyes rimmed with tears again. That had been their mistake — bringing the children to China. It was then that Xin had seen Syaoran in his fatherly role, and had realized how attached he was to them. How precious they were to him. And if he couldn't hurt Syaoran through Sakura anymore, then he would get to Syaoran through the twins. Because Xin had promised not to try and harm Sakura in any way any more, because Xin lo. . .

"Mother, I wasn't expecting you until a bit later!"

Sakura snapped out of her daze and walked back out into the hall after hearing Syaoran's voice travel up the stairs. She paused, long enough to hear Syaoran and Yelan speaking in hushed voices among themselves while she took one last glance at the now what would be abandoned room, then closed the door behind her. Yes, she decided, the mirror would go in their room. It just seemed to be the most logical place to put it. Watch over the twins in what should have been their own room.

She smiled sadly to herself, then walked back to the stairs and took hold of the railing to descend the stairs. By the time Sakura was nearing the front door, to where Syaoran and his mother stood, Syaoran's face was pale and ashen, and Yelan wore a tight, serious look. As Sakura approached them, both turned to her. A cold shudder ran through her body as they both turned to her with the same concerned eyes. She stopped a few feet away from them, and returned the confused look.

"Syaoran," Sakura began hesitantly. "What's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

"Sakura. . ."

Syaoran looked away sadly, his bangs sweeping in front of his eyes as his shaking fists balled up at the sides of him. He refused to look over at his wife, fearing what he'd see in her eyes as she watched him break the news to her. And all he could say was, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sakura."

"Syaoran!" Sakura screeched, running over to him and grasping his arms, shaking him to look at her. When he finally did, fear danced in her eyes his eyes glistening over with tears, though he did not shed them. Her body began to shake as another small tremor flooded through her body. "Wh-what happened? What happened!?"

"There's been a plane crash," Yelan began, making Sakura look over towards her and away from Syaoran. "Not long after your plane arrived in Hong Kong, another plane left Japan, and it crashed into the ocean."

"Wh-what?" Sakura stumbled, feeling her legs go numb and ready to give up on her.

"Sakura," Yelan began, speaking seriously to her as Sakura realized she had dropped the usual suffix she used. "I'm sorry. . .Touya-san and your father were on that plane. It crashed about fifteen minutes ago."

"B-but they're okay, ne?" Sakura asked in a panic, turning her attention back to her husband with wide eyes. "They're safe, right, Syaoran?"

Syaoran looked down at Sakura's eyes and slowly shook his head, slipping his hands into hers and holding them tight, "I'm sorry, Sakura, but they haven't been found. There was no explanation for the crash, and Mother and I are sure it was Xin who caused the crash."

"But that's why we put them on that plane instead of your family's jet!" Sakura yelled angrily. "To keep them safe from Xin! So he wouldn't know that they were coming over!"

"I know," Syaoran sighed sadly, pulling his wife closer to him and beginning to soothingly run his hand over the back of her head while gently rocking her. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I am so, so sorry."

"They can't be gone. . ." she muffled into his shirt. "Th-they can't be."

"It's alright to cry," Syaoran gently told her, kissing the top of her head while continuing to slowly rock her. "I'll stay strong for the both of us, so please, don't try to hold on any longer."

Sakura broke down, the dam in her throat breaking as tears began to freely rush down her cheeks. She held a griped Syaoran's sweater tightly as she left two large wet spots on it from her tears. All she could manage to say and keep repeating was, "You promised they'd be okay, Syaoran! You said they'd be safe! You promised!"

And all Syaoran would keep repeating was, "I know. . .I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Mentally, however, he was screaming, cursing and beating himself up as his own voice appeared in his mind, _"I promise, they'll all be safe."_ He had made a solid promise to her, that he'd keep her family safe, and wasn't able to hold up to it. He wasn't able to protect them like he thought and promised he would, and now his beloved was hurt even more. He couldn't save them. He couldn't help them. And now, he was holding onto the last Kinomoto, his loving wife, as she cried for the loss of her own family. It was almost like Syaoran had hurt her himself through not being able to get Kinomoto Touya and Fujitaka safely over to China, even though he knew that wasn't the case. Still, he was beating himself up over it and promised himself he would never forgive himself. He had hurt her, even if not deliberately.

After a few minutes of crying into his shirt, repeating her harsh words and Syaoran trying his best to comfort her with soft soothing words, Sakura slowly stopped. She had felt a familiar aura nearing the house, making her heart race. Then she heard the back door open, and she pulled away from Syaoran to see Yue walk down the hall from the kitchen's back door to them. She tried to hide her tears, but it was useless and Yue saw them right away.

"What's going on?" He asked, his eyes showing concern for his mistress.

Sakura staggered over to him, running the last few feet towards him, and fell into his arms to cry all over again. She felt him stumbled back a bit catching her, then slowly place his hands onto her back. The tears seemed to rush down her cheeks harder than before.

"O-Onii-chan!" She cried out. "He. . .he isn't. . .I'm sorry, Yukito-san, so sorry. Onii-chan. . ."

There was a sudden flash of understanding across Yue's face, as he quickly changed into his other self and held Sakura securely. Yukito tried to calm her down, not being able to understand a single word coming out of Sakura's mouth as he soothingly rubbed her back.

"Calm down, Sakura-chan," Yukito gently begged, looking over to Syaoran for any help he could give. But Syaoran merely looked away from him, ashamed. "I don't understand what's going on."

Sakura managed to slow down her tears, and after a hiccup or two, she was able to say as much as she could, "Onii-chan. . .Touya. . .he-he isn't c-c-coming home."

Yukito's eyes widened; he knew that Sakura must have been forced to hide the twins, along with Syaoran. He had watched it through the eyes of his other self. But what he didn't understand was why she was talking about Touya as if he were. . .

He suddenly stiffened and looked down at her tear stained face, frowning, and demanded a bit more roughly than he intended to, "What do you mean, he's not coming home? Where is he?"

Sakura hiccuped again as she looked away and subconsciously tugged on his shirt, "I. . .I'm sorry, Yukito-san. I tried to bring him here to keep him safe, b-but. . ."

Yukito seemed to understand. He pulled away from Sakura's grasp and slowly began to back away towards the wall, his eyes widening more and more with each passing second. He kept shaking his head, whispering 'No' over and over. When he felt himself hit the wall, he let himself slide down it. He let his one leg fall completely to the floor, laying down, while the other remained close to his chest. He rested his elbow on his knee and cradled his head in his hand, letting his own tears flow. He grasped onto his bangs and kept shaking his head in denial.

No one, not Sakura or Syaoran or Yelan, moved from their spots to either comfort Yukito. Syaoran was rooted to the spot that he stood, not knowing whether he should walk over to his wife to hold her to go and try to comfort Yukito, who had lost his own love. Sakura seemed unable to move as well, her own body still shaking with tears and she watched Yukito, broken and devastated, curl up and cry his own tears. They all remained frozen in their spots, feet rooted to the ground, as Yukito continued to weep for his lost love, crying out Touya's name and trying to reassure himself that none of it was true.

But it was.

Kinomoto Touya and Fujitaka were dead; gone from the world forever. And no one could bring them back. Ever.

_**-to be continued in Chapter twenty- **_

XxXxXxX

_**Chinese Lesson:**_

lao jia — "excuse me", as if you were trying to get someone's attention.

wo bu shi Zhong guo ren_ — _"I am not Chinese"

XxXxXxX

**Just a quick note and I promise to keep it short and sweet :D**

**Thank you so much to be betas for editing this for me, SilentCynara and Tsuki.Senpi. You guys are awesome, real life savers! Without you, this story would be down the drain by now!! And thank you to CheeseyCraziness, for reading it over for me as well. You rock!**

**:) Please review if you want your update to be quicker than last time! School is starting soon, so I'll have to really slow down (see the explanation coming up in chapter 21). Besides, don't you**_** want**_** to find out what else happened to our beloved Sakura and Syaoran after the twins were separated?? **


	21. Chapter 20: Back in Time, part two

**Again, my thanks :) So just bear with me!**

**First of all, to my beta's; ****SilentCynara****, ****Tsuki.Senpi****, and now (officially XD) ****CheeseyCraziness****!! Haha, so Lorin-chan has been somewhat 'un'-officially beta-ing this story for the past two chapters now, so I've just asked her to actually beta for me! XD You know you're spelling is bad when you need THREE people to look over it! LOL...joking!**

**It's awesome to have all of you guys editing my work! Nara-chan, Ja-chan and Lorin-chan...you guys all rock, and this fic would honestly be falling apart without your comments and fixing all my mistakes! **

-XxXxXxX-

_**Chapter twenty: Back in Time, part two**_

_**-still sixteen years before-**_

Sakura hiccuped again as she looked away and subconsciously tugged on his shirt, "I. . .I'm sorry, Yukito-san. I tried to bring him here to keep him safe, b-but. . ."

Yukito seemed to understand. He pulled away from Sakura's grasp and slowly began to back away towards the wall, his eyes widening more and more with each passing second. He kept shaking his head, whispering 'No' over and over. When he felt himself hit the wall, he let himself slide down it. He let one leg slide across the floor, while the other remained close to his chest. He rested his elbow on his knee and cradled his head in his hand, letting his own tears flow. He grasped onto his bangs and kept shaking his head in denial.

No one, not Sakura or Syaoran or Yelan, moved from their spots to comfort Yukito. Syaoran was rooted to the spot that he stood, not knowing whether he should walk over to his wife to hold her or to go and try to comfort Yukito, who had lost his own love. Sakura seemed unable to move as well, her own body still shaking with tears and she watched Yukito, broken and devastated, curl up and cry his own tears. They all remained frozen in their spots, feet rooted to the ground, as Yukito continued to weep for his lost love, crying out Touya's name and trying to reassure himself that none of it was true.

But it was.

Kinomoto Touya and Fujitaka were dead; gone from the world forever. And no one could bring them back. Ever.

XxXxXxX

Syaoran tucked Sakura into bed, pulling the dark purple silk sheets up to her neck to keep her warm. It had been a long day, only made worse by her family's death. Sakura had remained distant for the rest of the day, refusing to really talk, eat or really pay any attention to Syaoran at all. All afternoon, she had sat on the bench out in the back in the centre of the garden, staring out into space with a blank look on her face. When Syaoran had tried to sit beside her, she wouldn't look at him. When he tried to take her hand in his, or wrap his arm around her, she wouldn't respond. And when he tried to speak to her, she wouldn't say anything back.

To add to it all, closer to the evening, Li Yelan had come back with the mirror, wanting to give Sakura time and room for breathing before she settled it in the house. When it was all set up in the twins bedroom, Sakura cast the final spell to make it connect to the two wearing the pendants, and had stood there watching them for almost three hours straight.

Akatsuki was in the orphanage they had told Kero to bring him to. He was either in another woman's arms for feeding or rocking, or laying in a cheep, uncomfortable looking crib. The whole time he seemed confused and upset, never letting his wails and cries stop, as if he knew something wasn't right and that he wouldn't be seeing his parents or sister again. And no matter what his caretaker did to try and settle him, he wouldn't. When the woman became frustrated, Sakura would simply tell her, as if she could hear her, that she wasn't rocking him properly or holding him the way he liked to be held.

Tsukiko also seemed to be upset, but not as much. She had a look in her eyes that seemed to say that she knew something wasn't right, that she wasn't with her brother or parents. But the Nanami couple was overjoyed with her, and had already prepared a room for her by the time Sakura peeked in on them. They kept repeating that she was their gift from the gods.

And what seemed to hurt Sakura the most was not being able to hold her children herself. Or comfort them when they cried. And the fact that not once had she or Syaoran seen either of the twins crack a smile or laugh since they arrived where they wore now tore Sakura apart even more. She had always said that a baby's smile and laugh could light up a room and make everything better, but these two seemed to have lost their ability to do either for now.

Yukito had left after a bit with Yelan earlier. She offered a place for him to stay until he was stable enough to find an apartment in Hong Kong, but had told him that it wouldn't be wise to go back to Tomoeda. For one, Sakura needed Yue. And for another thing, Sakura was the only connection Yukito had with Touya left, and vice versa. There was no reason or point for Yukito to return to Japan, other than his job at the high school.

Syaoran sat down on the edge of the bed beside Sakura, and slowly ran the back of his fingers along the contours of her face, gently soothing her skin. She seemed so peaceful sleeping, as if nothing could touch her or harm her. And the thought of it all tore Syaoran's heart apart; she had been through so much already, so why was she being forced to suffer even more? And if Xin was really trying to hurt Syaoran, he was doing a damn good job at it.

He stopped and sighed, heaving himself off the bed and walking towards the door again. He was lucky he had even gotten Sakura to sleep in the first place. She refused to go to bed, and didn't want to fall asleep. Now, it was almost dawn and she had only been sleeping for about half an hour. He knew he needed sleep too, but it was like he had gotten his second wind already and felt no need to sleep. His body was telling him to stay awake and watch over Sakura, make sure she was okay and slept.

Besides, he thought to himself, he still needed to do something. So Syaoran closed the bedroom door behind him, careful not to make a sound to wake her, and began making his way towards the stairs.

XxXxXxX

"_I need to talk to you, now," Xin turned to Sakura. Once seeing her bright green eyes look at him, his immediately softened and his voice become more gentle. "Please."_

_It was a crisp autumn day, and Sakura was walking through the Li Mansion's garden, admiring the changing leaves and the blooming autumn flowers. In a week she would be graduating, married and going back to Tomoeda with Syaoran. It had taken a lot of persuasion for the Elders to let Sakura and Syaoran move away from Hong Kong and back to Japan, since Syaoran was beginning to take over the business. But Syaoran explained that he had wanted to extend the Li Corp into Japan, starting with Tomoeda. And then Sakura would get a job at Tomoeda Elementary, hopefully teaching fourth grade. She had always wanted to teach grade four more than any other grade, because for her, that was when her life began to change._

_Sakura turned to face Xin, who was standing near her, and smiled. Even though he was trying to separate Syaoran and herself, she had tried to stay nice to him. After all, both she and Syaoran knew that nothing and no one could ever separate them. _

"_What is it, Xin-san?" She asked. Even though she was almost fluent in Chinese now, Xin was one of the few people she knew who also spoke Japanese. So she would use her own language with him. _

"_I. . .I. . ." he flushed pink slightly and gave a small yet respectful bow to Sakura, making her confused. "Gomen nasai, Sakura-san."_

"_What for?" Sakura asked, confused by everything. She had never seen him act this way before; being all kind and sweet. Not unless he was trying to seduce her. _

_He stood back up, "I was using you to hurt Xiao Lang, and I apologize. I don't want to do that anymore. I. . .I don't want to hurt you anymore."_

_Before Sakura could say anything, Xin took one step closer to her. He towered over her, being a few inches taller than Syaoran. He moved to hold her hands, but stopped and balled them up at his sides instead. _

"_Gomen," he repeated a little more quietly. "I don't want to do anything to you anymore, Sakura-san, be-because I. . .I love you."_

_Sakura's eyes widened in shock; was he trying to seduce her again? What was he up to? But one long look in his eyes told her she was wrong. His eyes actually looked brighter and more innocent, and very sincere. She could see how hard it was for him to say such a thing, and how true his words were._

"_Xin-san," Sakura began quietly. "I love Syaoran. And I always will."_

"_I know that," Xin looked away. "Just another thing he's taken from me. Another thing I can't have, because if I would have been the one to go to Japan in the first place, it would have been me you fell for first. Not stupid Xiao Lang, but me."_

"_Maybe," Sakura smiled. "But I'm sure you'll find your special someone. I'm just not her."_

"_I'll always love you," he told her honestly, then he leaned in one last time and brushed his lips against Sakura's. He didn't force her mouth open, or press himself against her like the last time. This time, it was just a quick graze, but he tried to show her how much he loved her in that kiss. When he pulled away, he saw a very shocked Sakura, making him smile._

_He turned around back to the house, but stopped after a few steps and turned back around. His eyes were back to their usual coldness, and he grinned carelessly, "But, Sakura-san, just because I'm sorry to you doesn't mean I'm sorry with Xiao Lang. I won't stop trying to hurt him, because this is just another thing he's made sure I can't have. He's made sure I can't have you."_

Sakura's eyes flew open when the memory ended. It took her a minute to actually wake up and realize that Syaoran had brought her to bed, but when was beyond her. She looked over at the neon lit alarm clock to realize that the sun must have only just come up. She groaned slightly, still groggy and threw off the covers. She stumbled over to the window and pushed open the drapes, letting the sunlight flood through her room.

She didn't bother changing from the pajamas Syaoran had dressed her in, and walked down the stairs. She was met by Syaoran's tired voice coming from the kitchen. She was going to yell out to him and ask who was there, when she stopped in her tracks and realized who he was talking to.

"Hiiragizawa, I need you to explain everything to Daidouji-san for us," Syaoran slowly instructed.

She looked for the closest phone, finding a cordless phone hanging up in the entrance hallway, and picked it up just in time to hear Eriol, "Nani? Gomen na, Syaoran-kun. . .demo, I'm more than sure she'd want to hear it from you both instead of me. She's worried about you guys, and she knows something is up. You know how Tomoyo is with these types of things."

Sakura's heart sank as she heard his voice; through all the chaos of the day before, she had completely forgotten to phone Tomoyo and Eriol. She was immediately thankful that Syaoran hadn't phoned them to get on the same plane as her father and brother.

She walked into the kitchen. Syaoran had his back turned to her, staring off into space. He was still dressed in his clothes from the day before, making her presume he hadn't slept.

"Gomen nasai," Sakura said softly. "I don't want to worry Tomoyo-chan, demo. . .I-I can't come out there right now. We have to stay here."

Syaoran whipped around, his eyes widening as he saw the woman standing in front of him. He was expecting her to sleep for a bit more at least. "Sakura! You should be resting!"

Sakura continued, ignoring Syaoran. Her voice was blunt, hurt and tired, "Please, Eriol-kun. . .I really don't wish to hurt Tomoyo-chan, you know that. Please."

Eriol sighed on the other line, and Sakura could almost see him scratching the back of his head like he always did, "I'll do it. Demo, please, keep in touch with Tomoyo. Especially you, Sakura-san. . .I can't stand to see her cry like that."

Tears swelled up in Sakura's eyes again; didn't he know how badly she wanted to? But if they couldn't get Tomoyo and Eriol out to Hong Kong to keep an eye on them, then staying in touch with them might be even more dangerous. Something Sakura refused to take the chance on. She tried to swallow the lump of tears growing in her throat, but failed.

"G-Gomen ne. . .demo, I c-can't promise that. Please. . .just leave it like that," She struggled to say.

Eriol caught this, and his voice hurt for her, "Sakura-san. . ."

"Please," Syaoran began, walking over to his wife and wrapping his arm around her so she would fall onto his chest. He soothingly rubbed her back, keeping his head on top of hers. Slowly, he felt her reach her arms back around him, shaking, trying to bite back her tears. "Hiiragizawa, I know you've already done so much for us, especially with helping with the added security on the house in Tomoeda. But he broke through. We can't say more, just that we can't stay in Nihon at the moment. We're using the plan I was telling you vaguely about just after the twins were born, understand now?"

"Understood," Eriol finally said. Then there was a small beep, indicating that he had hung up.

Syaoran then hung up his phone, and looked down with concern at Sakura. She still held the beeping phone to her ear, as if waiting for someone to talk into it. Syaoran looked at her sadly, and carefully took the phone from her. He laid it beside the one he was using on the kitchen counter, then wrapped his other arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said quietly. "For everything."

"It's not your fault," she mumbled, closing her eyes. It felt so relaxing just being there in his embrace, she could almost go to sleep again. "I should call Tomoyo-chan and apologize to her properly. We just took off. . .and she's my best friend."

"I know," Syaoran said. "But it wouldn't be a good idea."

"One call?" Sakura looked up at him with round eyes, begging him to let her.

Syaoran hesitated, then sighed and nodded. He smiled lightly and bent down to kiss her nose playfully, "If it'll make you happy, then one call. But just one, okay? Just promise me you'll smile for me again, Sakura. That's all I want."

XxXxXxX

Sakura waited until later that afternoon to phone Tomoyo. Syaoran had explained to her that earlier, when Syaoran and Eriol had been discussing their plan if Xin was to become too much for them to handle, the two men had made an alternate plan in case the Daidouji couple wasn't able to make it to Hong Kong after. The plan was for Eriol to move Tomoyo to Tokyo as quickly as possible. How it would be explained to Tomoyo's family was that she wanted to be closer to her office in Tokyo and to her business.

Sakura picked up the phone and dialled Tomoyo's house, knowing full well that by now Eriol probably had her packing and getting ready to move to the house he had already set up in case anything was to happen. But what she wasn't expecting was for the phone to ring four. . .five. . .six times. By the eighth ring, she could feel her heart sink. No one was answering. The ninth ring was cut in half, as Tomoyo's gentle voice came on the line.

"Moshi moshi, Daidouji desu! You've reached Tomoyo, Eriol and Koume!" Tomoyo's voice said cheerfully. "We're not home right now, but if you leave your name and number we'll be sure to get back to you as soon as we can! Bye!"

Sakura's eyes glazed over as a small beep was heard following the message, indicating her that her message was being recorded. She didn't speak for the first few seconds, not knowing what to say. She only had this one chance to call her, and then after that, who knew when they'd be able to talk again?

Finally, Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She wouldn't cry; her eyes were too dry that they just couldn't shed anymore tears.

"Tomoyo-chan," she said slowly, then paused. She kept her voice low and calm as she spoke, trying not to sound upset. "Gomen nasai."

Then she hung up, and held the phone in her hands. She leaned back against the couch and sighed heavily. As she lay on the couch and slowly began to drift off to sleep again, another memory slowly began to appear. . .another source of pain to Sakura. This one only about two weeks old.

"_Sa-ku-ra."_

_The young woman in her mid-twenties sitting at the small, round café table stiffened in her seat and tightened the grip she had on her coffee cup. With a forced smile and green eyes that seemed to dim as the male voice called her name, she turned around in her seat to see Li Xin standing behind her, smirking openly._

"_Xin-san," Sakura greeted. "I was. . .I was hoping to talk to you."_

_Xin smiled, his eyes lighting up as he saw her face, "And how did you know I'd be here? Not stalking me, I hope."_

_Sakura looked away, not smiling or blushing at his comment. She had come to speak to him seriously, and not let him play his games with her. "You always did like your morning coffee, and this is the best place in Tomoeda."_

_Xin nodded and took the empty seat across from her. He ordered a large black coffee from a passing waitress as Sakura turned back in her seat to face him again. He smiled, looking into her eyes and missing the concern lurking in their depths. "What is it? My dear cousin not making you feel like a woman should?" Then he leaned in closer and brought his voice down. "You know, I could make you feel good _every _night."_

"_Why are you doing this?" She asked seriously, her hands tightening around her cup again as she tried to ignore his previous comment. She looked at him straight into his dark eyes, "Please, Xin, why are you doing this?"_

"_Doing what?" He asked with a wider smirk. _

"_You know what I'm talking about," Sakura said harshly. "Please, tell me why you're doing it? Why do you want to hurt them? Why are you trying to take them away from me?"_

_Xin's smirk curved into an appalling leer, "You should know why."_

"_Because you want to hurt Syaoran?" Sakura said slowly._

_Xin chuckled a heartless laugh and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest and sighing, "See, I knew you already knew. So why are you asking?" When the only response he got was Sakura's confused and upset gaze, his smirk grew and he continued, "Xiao Lang seems to be very attached to those children, Sakura. I'm sure you've seen how he looks at them. His face and bearing change as soon as he sees them. If I kill them, I hurt Xiao Lang, and when I kill that son of his, I'll be killing two birds with one stone; Xiao Lang won't have an heir."_

_Sakura's eyes widened in horror when he was done expressing his thoughts. She had always known that Li Xin had an unbalanced life style and mind. She had learned that when she realized how obsessed Xin was with wanting to hurt Syaoran, as if his own life depended on it. But now, he just seemed pathetic in her eyes, and in all honesty, even though he had just told her such dark thoughts, Sakura still couldn't help but feel pity for the man sitting across from her. He just seemed unwilling to let go._

"_But you once told me you didn't want to hurt me anymore," Sakura reminded him in a sad voice as her eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "So why are you doing this?"_

"_To hurt Xiao La — "_

"_But you're hurting me in the process," Sakura quickly cut him off. "Don't you see? Why do you want to take my only children away from me when I love them so much? Please, Xin-san, can't you see? By trying to hurt Syaoran, you're also hurting me!"_

_Xin looked into her eyes, suddenly feeling as though her eyes were stabbing him. What was it with her that could change him so much? His eyes widened with compassion for the woman, as he reached his hands across the table and gently forced her to let go of the mug she held, then cradled her hands in his. He began rubbing her knuckles soothingly, something he had seen Syaoran do to her many times. Xin knew how much it comforted her. _

"_I'll stop then," he promised her in a gentle tone, seeing the sorrow and pity in Sakura's deep green eyes. "I'll leave them alone, Sakura. If you come with me."_

"_N-nani?" Sakura asked, mortified. _

"_I still love you, Sakura, and I know I always will," Xin said softly. "Come live with me. Leave Xiao Lang, and become my wife. You can bring the children, and I'll forget that they're his. They'll be mine, and I'll raise them so. We can all be a family, together, without Xiao Lang."_

_Sakura pulled away from his hands and stood up quickly, knocking her chair over and making everyone in the café to look in their direction. Her eyes danced with rage and horror at Xin's proposal to her. Her whole body shook with newfound anger as she looked down at his surprised expression and shook her head. _

"_Iie!" She yelled down at him. "I will _**never** _leave Syaoran! Not for you, not for anyone!"_

_Xin's eyes narrowed to slits as he slowly stood up, staying on his side of the table and glaring down at her, "You don't seem to understand, Sakura. That I'm telling you I'll leave your children alone if you simply leave him for me. I'm offering you this in order to keep your children safe."_

"_I completely understand that," Sakura spat out angrily. "But I will never leave him, especially not for you. What you do, Xin-san, is not love — it's obsession. If you really loved me like you claim to, then you would want me to be happy regardless of who I'm with, including Syaoran! You two may not get along, and you may hate him, but if you loved, that wouldn't matter to you as long as I'm happy! I can't be with someone who is obsessed with one person, and wants nothing in his life but to hurt this person! You don't love me, Xin-san. If you did, you'd listen to what I am saying and not hurt the people _**I**_ love!"_

"_I see," Xin said curtly, his fists balled up and shaking at his sides. "Well then, Li, don't blame me if one morning you find them dead, still lying in their cradles, waiting for you to return to them for their morning feedings."_

_Tears swelled up in Sakura's eyes as Xin walked briskly past her. She grabbed onto his hand, her eyes pleading for him to stop, "Please, Xin-san, just listen to me — "_

_Xin grabbed his hand back roughly, knocking Sakura back a step. "That's __**LI**__ to you, Li-san. Now, if you don't mind, I really must be going."_

_Sakura remained standing, watching in shock and panic as Xin walked quickly past the waitress carrying his coffee and angrily walked out of the building. Part of her was overjoyed and proud that she had stood up to him about the matter, but the other half of her was horrified, and couldn't help but let wild thoughts rampage through her mind about his last words to her._

_She collapsed back into her seat, her eyes wide open. Like a broken doll, she sat there limp and defeated. Thick tears slowly began to flow down her face, but her eyes remained open. Her whole body shook, and his stinging icy words remained in her mind. She could feel the many pairs of eyes on her, people whispering to themselves about the past scene. One waitress had even approached her and placed a concerned hand on her shoulder, though what the young girl had said Sakura didn't catch. _

_All she could think about was her family, slowly seeing images of them all falling apart. And her children. . .what could she do now? How could she protect them now? That look in Xin's eyes had scared Sakura, as if he already knew how he was going to get into the spell-protected house._

"_What have I done. . ?"_

XxXxXxX

Sakura woke up, panting in panic at the harsh memory in her mind. It felt fresh as if it had happened the night before. Syaoran still didn't know about that incident with Xin. He didn't know that one morning, when the twins were nearly six months old, she left them in the care of Tomoyo and went down to the finest little café in Tomoeda called _Kyattsuai_, knowing Xin would only go to the finest to sit and sip on his morning coffee, just like he did every morning in Hong Kong.

Now the memory tormented her, reminding her that she could have stopped all this if only she had taken Xin's offer. Sure it was outrageous to even think of leaving Syaoran, but it would have saved her precious twins. And Syaoran would have understood, right? He would have wanted what was best for his children as well, right?

Sakura sighed, tossing over to her side with a pain in her chest. Guess she would never know what would have happened if she had listened to Xin and left Syaoran. Maybe everything would be different. Maybe she would have eventually fell for the man. Maybe she would still have her children. Maybe she. . .

Her thoughts stopped as the bed creaked by Syaoran's weight as he turned over and wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist as he slept. He mumbled something, then pulled her closer so that they were in a spooning position.

Sakura sighed; no, she'd never be able to leave Syaoran even if she knew it would be best for her babies. She loved him too much to even try. She should have felt guilty; after all, wasn't a mother supposed to be able to make sacrifices to save her children? But she just couldn't. She loved him too much. Syaoran was everything to her.

She sighed again, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Sakura carefully lifted Syaoran's hands from around her waist, stood up and placed his arms back on the bed. She pulled the covers back up on him as he tossed onto his back, apparently missing her presence. She smiled to herself, seeing Syaoran's lips part as if ready to say something before a small snore erupted from him instead.

Sakura walked out into the hall and slid into the room next to theirs, to the room known as the nursery. She carefully closed the door behind her and walked towards the large round mirror hanging on the wall. It was an antique looking bronze-framed mirror, rusted here and there. The mirror itself was taller than her, almost reaching the ceiling. The frame had a beautiful design of dots and swirls around it, along with a mixture of Chinese characters and Old English words. Its magic involved the use of both Eastern and Western magic, just like Clow Reed's magic.

Sakura's eyes softened, seeing the two infants in the mirror. She was able to adjust the mirror's magic so she could see both twins at the same time, and the sight of them made her want to fly back to Japan and snatch them back. Tsukiko, who was shown on the left half of the mirror, was sleeping peacefully and resting on her right side, facing the centre of the mirror. Akatsuki, who could be seen on the right half of the mirror, was also sleeping peacefully though still tears stained his cheeks. He, too, slept facing into the mirrors centre, on his left. Together, they slept facing each other subconsciously, somewhat resembling Yin and Yang in Sakura's opinion.

A small smile spread across her face, even if it was a sad smile, as she began to wonder how the two would grow up and how their personalities would form. Would Tsukiko, who people constantly debated as to whether she looked more like Syaoran or herself, grow up and be tough like her father or more gentle like her mother? Would Akatsuki, who Sakura smiled about just knowing he would grow up to resemble Syaoran greatly, be a small cry-baby like Sakura once was or be the one always comforting others like Syaoran?

Her thoughts were interrupted though as the door creaked open, allowing a small funnel of light from the hall to shine through. Sakura didn't turn, knowing full well who it was. She could tell just by the person's light footsteps and familiar aura, plus the fact that she had known him for too long not to realize who it was.

The intruder shut the door behind them, and flicked on the bedroom light. He walked over to Sakura and wrapped a strong arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He held onto her securely, snuggling his with hers and closing his eyes, sighing deeply.

"Daijoubu?" Syaoran asked.

"Un," Sakura answered honestly. "I'm okay."

"I was worried when I realized you weren't in bed," Syaoran admitted. "But I figured you'd be in here."

"Sorry," Sakura mumbled against his chest. "I didn't mean to worry you. I guess I'm just used to the nightly routine of checking in on them, that I still felt the need to."

Syaoran smiled comforting, and nodded, "I understand what you mean. I've woken up a few times to check on them, then remembered that they weren't. . ."

He cut himself off, angry at himself for being so close to reminding Sakura about what had happened. But he hadn't needed to, apparently, as Sakura realized his uneasiness and squeezed him reassuringly.

"I'm alright," she told him again. "I know that, as a mother, I need to think of what's best for them first, ne?"

Syaoran smiled, proud of his wife's abilities to stay strong even though that someday she would need to let her walls crumble and break down. He nodded again, and gently whispered, "I know."

Sakura closed her eyes as a sudden flash of visions entered her mind. Syaoran felt her tense up, but knew what was going on. Sakura had only had sudden visions only a couple of times before, but he had learned that it was better to leave her than to interrupt her while she was seeing such things. So he held her closer, letting her know what he was near as the visions danced through her head.

_There were two teens, a boy and a girl, both with the same chocolate coloured hair. They were running around, laughing, as the emerald eyed boy threw pillows at the amber eyed girl. The pillow suddenly broke, sending goose feathers all into the air, then slowly descended back to Earth. Then, Sakura and Syaoran were in the picture, looking horrified by the mess. The two teens stopped laughing, watching the adults with worried eyes before Sakura and Syaoran also broke into laughter. The two teens joined back in again, as the girl threw her pillow back at the boy. . . _

Sakura opened her eyes again, a small smile fluttering on her lips. As she relaxed, so did the hold Syaoran had on her. Her smile grew as she pulled away from Syaoran slightly, but let him keep his arms loosely around her waist. He was watching her intensely, waiting for her to tell him what she had seen. When she didn't say anything, Syaoran finally opened his mouth.

"Is. . .is everything okay?" He asked with worry.

Sakura smiled even more, making Syaoran relax. At least she was smiling.

But Sakura couldn't explaine it; she didn't really understand the vision other than it had made her smile — a real smile — for the first time since Xin had broken through the barriers surrounding their Tomoeda house and invaded their home.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm fine. And I have a feeling that everything will be alright. . .for all of us."

Syaoran sighed, relieved, and pulled Sakura back against his chest, "I'm glad then."

Sakura's smile never ceased, as she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms back around Syaoran, letting them stand together in a warm and comforting stance for what seemed like until dawn. For whatever reason, her mind was telling her that everything was going to be alright and that everything was going to work out. And, without meaning or wanting to, she couldn't help but believe it. And the two teens were in her vision, they had made her happy — making her certain she knew who they were.

Her beloved children, Akatsuki and Tsukiko.

XxXxXxX

**Okay -- so...the explanation I promised in the last chapter. I know it sounds like I'm whining, but I'm really trying not to. But, I'm starting my grade eleven year next week, and since this year my grades start counting for university, I really need to pay attention to my studies. So I won't have AS much time for writing, though I refuse to give it up (whoo! Go rebel-side of Raina!!). **

**Although, I can safely promise ****at least**** two chapters a month, if not more. So all that will be happening will be that I'll most likely update bi-weekly, pending on how busy all my betas are (work, school, etc...)**

**Thanks for understanding! Wishing everyone luck who is also starting school soon or, like one girl I know ;), has already started!!**

— **Raina**


	22. Chapter 21: Kisses for the Night

**Thanks again to my awesome betas — Jade-chan (Tsuki.Senpi), Lorin-chan (CheeseyCraziness) and Nara-chan (SilentCynara)! You girls rock! **

-XxXxXxX-

_**Chapter twenty-one: Kisses for the Night**_

"_I'm fine. And I have a feeling that everything will be alright. . .for all of us."_

— Li Sakura

XxXxXxX

Four people sat, awed, in the small sitting room of the Li Mansion. Sakura wasn't crying, but instead smiling, as if relieved And Syaoran, who had taken her hand into his own, was looking down at the coffee table and away from his family. The two teens sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say next.

It seemed like too much information to take in at once, and now not only were old questions still swimming around in Akatsuki and Tsukiko's minds, but there were also new thoughts and questions forming. While Sakura and Syaoran had explained the whole ordeal, it had opened new doors and ideas for the teens. But it also made things a lot more confusing, especially regarding Li Xin.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity, Tsukiko decided it was time to break the silence. She tried to look over at Syaoran, but frowned when he refused to meet her gaze. So she turned to Sakura, who was obviously waiting for someone to say something.

"He. . .he loved you?" Tsukiko asked quietly.

Sakura seemed relatively shocked that that was the first questions asked, and her eyes widened. She, too, looked over to Syaoran, but for support. He glanced up at her, his eyes looking tired and hurt, before his bangs swept across his eyes and he turned away again.

Sakura sighed, "Hai, he said he did."

"But he didn't when you first met?" Tsukiko asked, looking Sakura straight in the eyes.

"Iie," Sakura sighed again. "When he first found me, his only intentions were to hurt Syaoran in any way he could. He figured the best way to do that was to either hurt me or take me away from him, and make me his. But he. . .anou. . .I guess he sort of liked me after a bit. . .f-for real."

"Liked you?" Syaoran scoffed, finally looking up with anger for Xin burning in his eyes. "That frickin' guy was all over you! The fact that he dared suggest that you run away with him to save the twins. . .if I had known you'd gone out earlier and he'd said that, I'd wring his neck and I wouldn't give a damn what the Elders say! They can just kiss my a — !"

"Syaoran!" Sakura scolded. "We have to respect them!"

Syaoran grunted, "You know that'll never happen, Sakura."

"And," Akatsuki began, looking down at the cup of cold tea he held tight in his hands. All eyes turned to him as he clutched the cup tight between his hands. "Li's the one who caused your brother and father's death? With the plane crash?"

Syaoran looked over to Sakura. His heart broke as his wife's eyes darkened with old memories again, as he had to tell that part of the story earlier since Sakura had gotten choked up. He squeezed her hand, but received no reply from her. That was one thing she had never been able to let go; it was even worse than dealing with giving up her children. At least with her children, she knew they were still alive. With her brother and father, she knew she would definitely never see them again, and in her opinion, she could have stopped it. She could have stopped it all.

"Hai," Syaoran finally answered. "I figured that sending your uncle and grandfather on a public plane would be safer for them, because it would be harder for Xin to know they were on it, instead of my mother's jet. But Xin crashed the plane, and how he did it we still don't know. All we know is that everyone who was on the plane was rescued and safe, except Touya and Kinomoto-san. We never found them. . ."

"But then," Tsukiko began slowly, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked over to the hurting Sakura. "If you never found them, couldn't they still be alive? How can you know they're dead?"

"They're gone," Sakura's voice was faint, barely a whisper. "I just know it. They're not alive."

Syaoran saw the shadow that cast across his wife's face, making his heart break for her. Since their sudden death, neither of them had really spoken about her family or the way they had died. It had bothered Syaoran at first, knowing she should talk about it. But eventually he let her do her own thing, handle it her own way, even though he knew it wasn't healthy. But now, even though she wasn't exploding with emotions, he could see how much the subject hurt her. Perhaps that was why she hadn't wanted to talk about it; for fear of how it would hurt her.

Syaoran opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when the small clock on the wall began to chime. All four heads snapped towards the wall on the clock to realize it was already getting late into the night, as the clock chimed eleven times.

Akatsuki stood up, not believing his eyes as he read the time. Had they really been there for that long? It didn't seem so long ago since Tsukiko and he had arrived at the Li Mansion, but now it was easing into the late hours of the night and they had arrived close to noon. How had the time gone by so fast?

"We should get going," Akatsuki turned to Sakura, then Syaoran, and bowed slightly. When he stood back up, he looked over to Tsukiko to wait for her to also stand. After a moment's hesitation, Tsukiko sighed and also stood up then walked over beside him. She obviously didn't want to leave.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked with a small smile. "You don't honestly think we'd just kick you out like that, do you?"

"We're staying in a hotel in Central," Tsukiko told her.

"You can stay here!" Sakura told them with a smile, also standing up. She turned to her husband, something long forgotten shining in her eyes. "Ne, Syaoran?"

Syaoran smiled seeing Sakura's eyes light up the way they did now. He quickly realized what they were gleaming with, something he had almost lost hope that she would ever remember to be or do again. Her eyes were shining with happiness, something he had longed to see again. "Of course. I wouldn't dream of letting them leave now. I'll have Wei-san pick up your things from the hotel, just give me the name."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Tsukiko asked worriedly. "I don't want to put Wei-san out. . ."

"Well, we're not about to let you leave," Syaoran said with a kind smile. He, too, stood and walked over beside his wife. He slid his hand into hers and entwined his fingers with her own, much to Tsukiko's amusement; she sighed softly at the sight and struggled against daydreaming like the hopeless romantic she was. Syaoran didn't seem to catch this and continued with what he was saying, "I don't think Wei-san will mind, but I'll go. I'd rather you stay here anyways."

Akatsuki's gaze shot to Syaoran's with suspicious eyes, "Why?"

Syaoran and Sakura exchanged an uncomfortable look before the man sighed, "Xin could still here. He's been here on business for Li Corp for almost a month now, on my orders. But he was supposed leave last night or early this morning. I've been trying to keep him from travelling to Japan as much as I can, even more since Yue-san and Keroberus told us that Xin had found you both. But after a bit, he makes up some excuse that I cannot refuse without an uproar from the Elders. I can't stop him from going to Japan, just let him go less." He paused, then continued, "I don't know why he keeps on insisting on going to Tokyo, though. He's been going there pretty often for years now. . .before he found you two. He just suddenly wanted to go to Tokyo more and more for the past seven or eight years, I believe."

"But then he'll be in Japan now, ne?" Tsukiko asked, begging to hear the answer she wanted. It would be just perfect if they happened to be in China while he went back to Japan only to find them gone.

"The problem is," Syaoran continued solemnly. "If Xin sensed your auras before he left, then the chances that he stayed behind are very high. Both of your auras are very strong, and there's a large possibility that he could have sensed them when your plane landed in Hong Kong. . .if he's here, that is. If he was already in Tomoeda, then he would have sensed you leaving."

"We'll worry about that later," Sakura said quickly, smiling to her children. "For now, I think it's been a long enough day. You both should rest."

XxXxXxX

Sakura placed her hand on the doorknob of the closed door, about to open it to say goodnight to her children. She wore a smile, her whole body filled with warmth. It felt so right to be standing on the other side of the door, getting ready to say 'oyasumi' to her children. The way a mother should. But before Sakura could open the door, Syaoran softly placed his hand on hers. He pulled it away and cradled it gently in his, leading her away from the door and towards the stairs again.

"Syaoran?" Sakura began to ask, looking back sadly at the door. She was so close.

"We need to discuss some things," Syaoran explained. He looked back at her when they got to the bottom of the stairs and sighed when he saw the sad expression she wore while looking hopefully towards the top of the stairs. "They won't be gone by the morning, but we need to talk now. About _**my**_ family."

XxXxXxX

An hour or two had passed since Akatsuki and Tsukiko had settled in the warm beds in the room they were sharing. It was the only room that was ready for sleeping in, usually kept clean and ready in case Sakura and Syaoran had guests. But Akatsuki and Tsukiko had been promised their own room by the next night, and Syaoran had already made the trip to their hotel to get their belongings.

But now, Akatsuki lay in bed, frustrated that he couldn't fall asleep. He tossed over from his back to his side and looked over at Tsukiko sleeping peacefully on the bed across the room from him. She seemed at ease, and Akatsuki was sure he could see a small smile sketched across her lips.

Still, he couldn't help but whisper, "Tsukiko, you still awake?"

When he didn't get a response, Akatsuki sighed to himself and decided to walk around for a bit to hopefully tire him. He threw off the warm covers and walked around his side of the room for a bit, then curiously towards the sleeping girl when something caught his eyes when he glanced over at her; two small pieces of paper clutched in her hand. Carefully, he gently wiggled the small rectangular papers free and walked back over to his bed. He crawled back in, and pulled the covers back onto his chilling body. Then he flicked on the lamp resting on the night-stand beside him. A small smile tugged at his lips.

The two pieces of paper Tsukiko had been holding on to and looking at earlier before she fell asleep were the two photos she had photocopied from the old Seijyu High School year book. It still amazed him that she had been able to copy the pictures without him finding out earlier. When she had found the time was beyond him.

And now he looked at the photos with new eyes. As he gazed down at the photo of Sakura and Syaoran sitting together by the tall sakura tree in front of the high school, his mind wandered. The people sitting by the tree were different. The eighteen year old Syaoran was now two years younger, and had emerald eyes. He was looking down at a girl much different from Sakura, with bright sapphire eyes and jet black hair with violet streaks. They were smiling at each other, the girl fitting perfectly into the boy's arms, as if she was meant to be there. . .

Akatsuki quickly began to glow bright red as he shook the thought away. What's wrong with me? he asked himself, then mentally yelled at himself for thinking of such a thing. They were friends, and he couldn't change that no matter how much he wanted to. But his feelings for her were different, different from how he felt for Tsukiko, even if he hadn't realized it at first, and different from what he felt for other girls he knew. Still, he swore not to change anything. He already gave the beautiful Japanese girl his answer, and now it was too late to change anything.

His ears perked up when he heard the doorhandle turning. Panicking, he flicked off the light beside him and flopped down in bed so he was laying down. He pulled the covers up a bit and closed his eyes, pretending he was asleep.

XxXxXxX

"Sakura. . ." Syaoran said in a warning tone as she turned the door handle to the twins' room and stepped in. He brought his voice down to a whisper so he wouldn't wake them. "They're asleep, and they're too old for this. They're fine, just leave them."

Sakura whipped around to see Syaoran following her into the room. She glared at him for a moment, then slowly her eyes softened. "Syaoran, I haven't been able to be a mother for nearly sixteen years. Please, onegai, just let me have this."

Syaoran opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He sighed, and closed his mouth as a small smile spread across Sakura's lips. If it made her happy, then who was he to stop her?

Sakura walked over to Tsukiko's bed first and leaned over. The girl wore a small smile on her lips, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what she was dreaming about that made her so happy. The mother lightly moved Tsukiko's bangs away from the front of the girl's face and leaned closer to gently kiss her on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, my Tsuki-chan," Sakura whispered lovingly. She pulled up the sheets higher on Tsukiko's body then turned to Syaoran with a smile. He, too, seemed to be smiling slightly at Sakura's gesture.

Sakura then walked over to Akatsuki's bed on the opposite side of the room. She paused before sitting down beside him. Gently, she pushed his chocolate coloured bangs back, but when she let go they slid back to their position in front of his eyes. Her smile grew, as she repeated the motion and watched as the bangs fell forward again. She kept doing this, playing with his hair, each time her smile growing more.

"He looks just like you, when you were his age," Sakura whispered softly to her husband. "And he reminds me a lot of you, especially with his attitude. That's all you."

Syaoran smiled, "But he has your eyes. In all honesty, I always wanted a child with your eyes, Sakura."

Sakura giggled softly, careful not to wake her children. "Not too sure about that, Syaoran. The colour may be mine, but his eyes are still you. You can read him perfectly through them."

She stole a glance at Syaoran who was smiling softly at her. She returned the smile and giggled softly again. She couldn't remember the last time she had given a true smile like the ones she had through that day, let alone laughed. She turned back to her son, about to kiss his forehead as well when something caught her attention. She frowned, and gently took the pieces of paper from his hand.

Her eyes widened upon seeing the first picture, of her and Syaoran in their senior year at Seijyu, but then her smile reappeared. She turned to Syaoran and gestured for him to come see, which he did. He peered over her shoulder and smiled.

"Life was so much easier back then," Syaoran sighed, running his hand gently down his wife's back. "And you were so happy then."

"I'm still happy," Sakura said softly.

Syaoran shook his head, "No, it's not the same. Today was the first time I've ever seen you truly happy in sixteen years. And I've missed it."

Sakura sighed and placed the first picture behind the second piece of paper. Her eyes widened again, as her eyes slowly traced over each of her friends' faces in the long forgotten photo. As if in a trance, her hand came up and lightly traced Tomoyo's beautiful face. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She was sick of crying.

"She really misses you, you know."

Sakura's and Syaoran's heads shot up to see Akatsuki sitting up in bed, looking away from them. They hadn't realized the boy had been awake the whole time. Sakura quickly got over the shock of seeing him still awake and smiled gently.

"Who does?"

Akatsuki looked at her with worried eyes, as if debating if he should tell her or not. Finally a sigh, then ". . .Tomoyo-san."

Sakura quickly paled and her eyes widened again. She looked back down at the photo, her eyes gazing at the cheerful violet-eyed girl. Her heart yearned to hear from her best friend again, to see her again. She pushed back down the tears begging to flee from her eyes and looked back up at the concerned emerald eyed boy; green meeting green.

"Y-you met Tomoyo-chan then?" Sakura asked quietly, not wanting to wake her other child.

Akatsuki slowly nodded, "Hai, Tsukiko and I both did. She gave us a bunch of old videos to watch with you two in it, to help us find you. She didn't give us the photos, though. Tsukiko photocopied them from an old yearbook I found."

Sakura gently shook her head with a soft smile, "Tomoyo-chan was the last person I wanted involved in all this. She's like a sister to me. I think the only reason why Syaoran asked Eriol-kun to explain everything to her was because we both knew that Eriol-kun would protect Tomoyo-chan."

"Eriol-san. . ." Akatsuki paused for a moment. "Does he have powers then?"

Syaoran nodded, "Hiiragizawa is a reincarnation of the most powerful magician in history, so he's almost as powerful as your mother."

Akatsuki nodded in understanding and turned back to Sakura, who was staring down at the photo again. His eyes saddened when he saw the tears welling up in his mother's eyes. He sighed and looked away again, determined not to show so much emotion. "You. . .you should go see her. Tomoyo-san, that is."

Sakura slowly nodded and looked up to her son in time to see him look back at her, and for a moment, their eyes locked. She smiled, her tears gone from her eyes. She pushed back his bangs again before standing up. She placed the two photos onto the small table beside his bed. She waited until he laid back down again before leaning over and pulling the covers up over him again. Then she leaned down and placed a soft, motherly kiss on his forehead.

"Oyasumi nasai, Akatsuki-kun."

XxXxXxX

"_Aka-chan!" A young girl, maybe six or seven, squealed as she ran up a hill. "Wait for me, Aka-chan! Wait!"_

_A boy, the same age as the girl, was running not too far in front of her. He laughed and turned his head to face her, but didn't stop. He wore a large grin that reached his gleaming jade eyes. "Hurry up, Tsuki-chan. I know you can beat me, so pick up the pace!"_

_The girl narrowed her eyes on him and gave a small growl, but pushed herself to run faster. She quickly caught up to him and, when she was passing him, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue at him. His smile sank, and he too growled and narrowed his eyes. He picked up his pace, and tried to pass her._

_It was a race to the door, which the girl got to only seconds before the boy did. When they got into the house, the boy leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, greedily sucking in air. The girl, on the other hand, was jumping up and down._

"_Ha!" She grinned. "I beat you!"_

"_I let you beat me," the boy grumbled. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."_

"_Stop being such a sore loser, Aka-chan," the girl stuck her tongue out again._

"_Who's a sore loser?" A woman asked as she stepped into the room. She was wearing a green apron that matched her eyes perfectly and carried a stack of clean plates, ready to set the table. "You both ready for dinner now?"_

"_Hai, okaa-san!" Both children said happily as they ran towards the dinning room, making another race out of it which this time the boy won._

_The boy grinned again towards his sister, "See, Tsuki-chan? Told you I let you win last time."_

_The girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "As if."_

_Just then, a small yellow teddy-bear like creature came flying into the room at top speed. He stopped at the table and sat by a large chocolate cake cooling off in the centre. Greedily, he took a deep, long breath of the cake's aroma and sighed, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Ahh, cake!"_

"_You pig," an amber-eyed man scowled as he walked into the room with a plate of dumplings. "Get away from the cake."_

"_Otou-san," the girl began with a giggle. "Kero-chan's just hungry."_

"_He's always hungry," the man smiled. He set the plate of dumplings down and pulled out the chair for the young girl, which she happily took. Then he walked out of the room, and came back with the jade-eyed woman, who was carrying a large bowl of buckwheat noodles while he carried the bowls for the zaru soba dipping sauce. They both took their seats across the table from each other, and the boy took his seat across from the amber-eyed girl._

"_Everyone ready?" The woman asked happily. All of them nodded. Four pairs of hands clapped together and four heads bowed._

"_Itadakimasu!" All four voices rang out together happily._

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko's amber eyes slowly fluttered open. She blinked a few times, at first not knowing where she was. The room was unfamiliar and dark, but when she saw Akatsuki sleeping peacefully in the bed near her, she remembered where she was and what had happened. A small smile spread across her lips.

But no matter how much she tried to fall back to sleep, she couldn't. Finally giving up, she decided it might help if she went to the bathroom. Grimacing, she realized she hadn't gone since she had gotten to the Li Mansion. She sighed before pushing off her blankets and sneaking out of the room, and into the hall. She remembered Sakura pointing out the small room down the hall that was the bathroom, and was walking in that direction when something suddenly stopped her.

She paused in front of a door, seeming the same as the rest, but there was something with it. Something inside that was pulling her closer. She looked around nervously, and chewed her bottom lip anxiously as she turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. She had to muffle a small gasp when she turned on the light and saw what she had stepped into.

It was, without a shadow of doubt, the old nursery, though it appeared as though no one had been in it for years. All the furniture had been pushed into the back corner with dusty white sheets covering them. The shape the sheets made showed that in the room, there were two cribs, a changing table and a small rectangular box which she guessed to be a toy-box. The walls were painted a light shade of yellow, making the room seem cheerful. . .but it was lonely.

But what caught Tsukiko's attention the most was the large antique mirror on the wall. As if in a trance, she walked over to the mirror and stared in awe. It was a huge mirror, almost reaching the ceiling. The thick five inch bronze frame was rusted here and there, but elegant dots and swirls decorated the frame. And along the edges were a mixture of Chinese characters and letters from the English alphabet, though she couldn't understand why the two were mixed together.

And it was the glass of the mirror that made Tsukiko hold her breath and her heart beat faster. A small, painted black line split the mirror in half but both sides were cracked. On the right side, there were three long, thick cracks that resembled lightening shooting down towards the ground. And the left side, which was the side Tsukiko was drawn to the most, was completely broken. It didn't have just a few cracks, but was shattered. How the glass was still clinging to the mirror's frame was a mystery to Tsukiko.

Hesitantly, Tsukiko reached forward and lightly ran her fingers along the left side of the mirror. She winced, and quickly pulled her hand back when something prickled the tips of two of her fingers. She gazed down at her fingers, shocked to see small droplets of blood trickling down them.

"Are you alright?"

Tsukiko snapped her head towards the doorway when the soft but husky voice echoed through her ears. Standing there, looking down at her with concerned eyes, was Syaoran. Panicking, she gave a small bow of respect towards him.

"Gomen nasai!" She squeaked nervously. "I-I couldn't get to sleep, and I. . .gomen, I shouldn't be in here. It's none of my business."

Syaoran smiled and walked over to her. He waited until she stood again before speaking in his calm, gentle voice. "It's very much your business to be in here. You have no reason to feel guilty about it."

Tsukiko smiled gratefully to him and turned back to the mirror with a sigh. Her eyes saddened just looking at it. "Is. . .is this the mirror you watched Akatsuki-kun and me through?"

Syaoran nodded, "Hai, this is Clow's mirror."

"What happened to it?"

Syaoran looked down into his daughter's pleading eyes and frowned. He sighed, "We don't know. We watched you through the left side and Akatsuki-kun through the right. It began with his side. . .one day, it just stopped working. Your side, however, didn't suddenly stop working like his. Yours slowly began to fade in and out, some days being better than others. It slowly stopped working, and each time it faded out, it cracked a bit more. The only thing Sakura and I could think of was that Xin wasn't watching Akatsuki-kun for long and attacked him right away, while he might have been watching you for a bit. If he wasn't attacking but was watching you closely, and perhaps knew it was you, your charm may have began to push itself at trying to keep your magic hidden from him, because it was your magical auras that gave you both away."

"That's why it's shattered then?" Tsukiko asked. "Because it slowly broke while Akatsuki-kun's broke quickly and suddenly?"

"That's what we think, anyway."

"And then it broke the day Xin found us, because the charms were trying their hardest to protect us even though it was too late? And that's why they're burned into our skin now?" Tsukiko clarified.

Syaoran slowly smiled, "That sounds correct, yes."

Tsukiko, on the other hand, frowned. "Demo, if that was the case. . .then mine broke after Akatsuki-kun's, and after he and I met. So wouldn't you have seen him through my charm? Wouldn't you have known he was in Tomoeda?"

Syaoran also frowned, "But the charm and mirror kept fading in and out on us. And we couldn't watch it twenty-four-seven. It may have shown your brother, but we never saw him."

Tsukiko slowly nodded and looked back at the mirror, frowning. Syaoran caught sight of this and sighed, slightly smiling to himself. So Sakura had been right; even though the young teen looked like both her parents and had Sakura's sweet personality, she had Syaoran's will and tough exterior. While Akatsuki was almost all Syaoran, this girl seemed like the perfect mix of both her parents. And her aura. . .

Syaoran's smile grew. He wouldn't say anything to her now, but he could already see how powerful she was going to become. What a great magician she was to be, and it made him proud. Her aura was strong and willful, as if nothing could break it.

"Anou," Tsukiko stumbled over her words, not knowing what to call him. Did she call him Dad, or something else? It was so confusing, so she settled on leaving that alone for now. "Is it possible to dream about what could have been?"

Syaoran rasied and eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Tsukiko looked up to Syaoran, "I've always had dreams that are different from normal dreams. I've been able to see what will happen in the future, and I saw things from the past before. Like you two cooing to me, with Akatsuki-kun upstairs asleep. Or the night Li found us. . .and Akatsuki-kun sees that often, the night Li found us. He's always hearing crying infants, cold laughter and a screaming woman."

"But you want to know if you can see 'what would have been'?" Syoaran asked.

"Hai," Tsukiko closed her eyes. "I've seen the past and future. . .but what about what could have been? Like if Li wasn't trying to kill us, and we were able to grow up with you."

"I've never heard of it," Syaoran admitted. "What do you mean?"

"I had this dream tonight," Tsukiko began. "Akatsuki-kun and I were six or seven, and we were getting ready to have dinner with you and. . .and, uh. . ." She looked up to Syaoran for support. He seemed to know what she meant, so he smiled and nodded, urging her to continue. "But Akatsuki-kun and I didn't meet — well, didn't see each other again — until this year, and in my dream we were much younger. So. . .so could I have seen what would have happened if we did stay together?"

Syaoran frowned and sighed, running his fingers through his thick locks of hair. "Tsukiko-san, I. . .I don't think so. I've never heard of that happening before."

"Then what did I see?"

"Maybe you're seeing what your heart sees," Syaoran offered with a small smile. "Maybe your dream was showing you a wish you have. Do you wish we had stayed together?"

Tsukiko's eyes widened, "Don't get the wrong idea! I love my parents, I really do! But I — !" She suddenly stopped and caught Syaoran's gaze. She looked away as if ashamed and slowly nodded. "Hai, I-I wish we had stayed together."

Syaoran smiled warmly at his daughter, "Then it was just a normal dream, Tsukiko-san. Everyone has dreams that show what they want or wish."

Tsukiko looked up at him and smiled softly, a smile that resembled Sakura's so much, making Syaoran's heart leap. Aside from her eyes, Syaoran had always thought Sakura's smile and laugh were her best feature, and was grateful that his daughter had inherited that wonderful, sweet smile. And suddenly, he found himself wondering if she had also gotten her mother's laugh.

Tsukiko noticed the dazed look in Syaoran's eyes, and snapped him out of it with her next question. "What's going to happen now?"

Syaoran shook his head gently, chiding himself for dazing off like that and stopped smiling briefly, "With what?"

"Akatsuki-kun and I are only in Hong Kong for two more days," Tsukiko explained. "But what will happen after that, when we go back to Nihon?"

"Your mother and I were talking about that earlier," Syaoran said with a small smile. He looked straight into Tsukiko's eyes, their matching amber gazes locking. "We're not going to leave you or your brother again."

Tsukiko's eyes slowly lit up and a smile began to tug at her lips, making Syaoran's smile widen as well. Without thinking about it, Tsukiko jumped towards him and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him like she would her father. "So you're coming back to Nihon with us?"

Syaoran was taken back by her quick actions, and smiled, amused. _Yes_, he thought, just like her mother. He wrapped his arms back around her, grinning at being able to hold his daughter for the first time in almost sixteen years. "Hai, we'll all go back to Japan. Together."

Syaoran made sure Tsukiko got back into bed after that, and when he knew she was settled back into her safe bed, he returned to his own. He crawled under the blankets and snuggled up close to Sakura, wrapping his arms around her stomach and pulling her close. He smiled, feeling her rest her hands on top of his. He kissed the base of her neck before resting his head on her shoulder and entwining his fingers with hers.

"You awake then, Sakura?" He asked softly. He felt her nod and give a muffled 'um-hum' for an answer, letting him know she was only half awake.

"Everything okay?" She finally asked him. She began playing with his fingers, gently running her fingers along his own as he kept a grasp on her.

"Hai," Syaoran smiled happily. "Everything is perfectly fine. I love you."

Sakura smiled to herself. She wiggled herself out of Syaoran's embrace and turned around. Gently, she pushed him so he was lying on his back, then rested her head against his chest. She closed her eyes again, and began teasingly running her finger along his chest, outlining every muscle. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"Maybe," Syaoran smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Oyasumi, Sakura."

Sakura smiled, and sighed happily. She pulled the covers closer to her and rested her arm across him, trying to get back to sleep. "Oyasumi, Syaoran. I love you too."

XxXxXxX

**Again, I'll try and update **_**AT LEAST**_** twice a month, if not more. So please don't be expecting a chapter next week... maybe the week after, pending on how things work out for me and my betas (and school ;) of course...)**

**:) Thanks again everyone! And please remember to review!!**

— **Rai**


	23. Chapter 22: The Li Family

**Thanks to all my betas (hehe...it's a family now! Whee! XD): Nara-chan (****SilentCynara****), Lorin-chan (****CheeseyCrazniess****) and Jade-chan (****Tsuki.Senpi****). You girls are totally awesome! I'd die without you!! **

**I have to really, REALLY, thank Nara-chan for the intro to this chapter! You'll understand after the first scene...but a lot of that idea was her. And this certain scene wouldn't even be in here if not for her XD So, I'll say it now, ahead of time...KILL HER! Not me!! LOL. This idea I really have to thank her for, because a certain character wouldn't even be in this if not for her. ARIGATOU! -bows-**

**Lastly, thank you to Lorin-chan for allowing me to use a certain reaction from one loved Chinese girl in particular. I didn't realize it was close to a reaction she had used, so thank you SO much for letting me still use it! -Bows to Lorin as well-**

-XxXxXxX-

_**Chapter twenty-two: The Li Family**_

Li Xin cursed loudly as he slammed his cell phone shut and ended the call with his father, then he yelled to the cab driver to pick up his pace. He looked down at the phone clutched in his hand, and cursed again. He didn't want to wait for his answer, he wanted it _now_. Full of rage, and not giving a damn if the driver kept looking at him nervously through the rear-view mirror, he let the phone suddenly burst into flames in his hand.

But then, suddenly and unexpectantly, a small smile ran across his lips and his dark bangs brushed in front of his cold eyes as he gave a small, almost amused, chuckle. The driver quickly pulled his gaze from the mirror and grasped onto the steering wheel even harder, shaking.

Ah, but now Xin had all the Lis together, all in one basket. The kids had found his dear cousin and that woman, and there was no way that bastard of a cousin would let his children go back to Japan alone now, so they'd all be together.

He smirked coldly, "It'll just make this all that easier."

The car stopped, and the driver turned to Xin with a pale face. He was sweating coldly, and shaking nervously. "S. . .sir, y-your stop. . ."

"Ah yes," Xin smiled warmly. He stepped out of the car and grabbed his luggage, then poked his head through the driver's window and handed him the money. "Thank you."

Xin unlocked the front door to his house in Tokyo with his key and walked in, locking the door again and setting his suitcase onto the floor beside him. He flicked on the light and smiled at his surroundings, "Blossom-chan, I'm home."

A girl in her early twenties with waist-long auburn hair and green eyes walked over to him, a small smile on her precious pink lips. She walked over to Xin and allowed him to take her chin into his hand and tilt her up to his face so he could plant a soft kiss across her lips. Her beautiful gleaming green eyes shone with nothing but love for the man.

"Miss me, Sakura?" He asked her, holding onto her waist so she was pressed against him. "My precious little blossom."

The young girl's eyes turned slightly sad, and she spoke in a soft voice to the man: "Xin, do you think you could. . .umm. . .maybe call me — "

The man's eyes suddenly filled with rage, and she felt his grip on her suddenly become painful, making her wince. "Shut up, just shut up!"

The girl looked into his eyes and gave a weak smile, "Please, don't be mad. It was wrong of me to suggest such a thing, Xin. I am sorry. . .but I promise to behave now. Please, don't be angry with me," she begged.

"Good," Xin said with a lustful leer. "Then I've missed you,_**Sakura**_. And you know what I've missed the most?"

The girl looked away and gave a small nod. She pulled away and pulled off her clothing. When she was naked, she let herself be pulled back against him as he began kissing her harshly. His hands wound around her lithe little body, stroking sensitive parts of her as he moaned into the kiss and whispered 'her' name again, the name the girl didn't completely understand.

And the young woman allowed her husband to kiss her, allowed him to touch her, wishing with all her heart that he'd call her by her real name, just once. But he never would, and she knew it. Because his feelings for her weren't real. And she fought the tears in her emerald eyes as she felt him suddenly become more aggressive. Not for the first time in the past year, she regretted having been born looking the way she did.

And she regretted that he had found 'those' children. . .because the husband she had known and loved had died the moment he had, and she had no idea if she would ever find him again.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko watched intensely as Akatsuki slept peacefully. She was sitting on his bed, gazing down at his sleeping face while trying to suppress her laughter. She had been trying to wake him for the past half an hour with no hope of him stirring any time soon. She could already smell the breakfast someone was making downstairs, making her mouth water and her stomach growl. And all she wanted to do was go downstairs to eat, but she also didn't want to leave Akatsuki upstairs alone.

Sighing, she poked him in the side again. "Akatsuki-kun! Get up!"

For the tenth time that morning, the only answer she got was his growl of annoyance. Frustrated, she marched over to her bed, grabbed a pillow and swatted his head, hard, with the pillow. His eyes flew open and without realizing what was going on, he jumped back and rolled off the bed with a loud thud.

Tsukiko couldn't help but laugh as he gave a small moan of pain and struggled to get back up. She walked over to him and held out a hand to help him stand, trying to calm herself down. "Gomen, gomen."

"What was that for!?" He yelled at her, obviously annoyed.

She sat down on his bed and crossed her arms, "You weren't waking up, baka!"

Akatsuki gave a large stretch and yawned, then sat down on his bed beside Tsukiko. He realized she was already dressed in a white-jean skirt that reached her mid thigh, an orange tank-top and white short-sleeved blouse that she tied just below her bust. She seemed ready for the day ahead of her, with her light make-up already applied — just natural tan eye shadow, eye liner and clear lip gloss — and her hair already brushed and up in a half pony-tail.

He rolled his eyes at her and flopped back onto the bed, "It's called being tired. How can you be awake right now, anyways?"

"_You_'re tired?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What's so wrong with that?" Akatsuki shot back.

"Oh, nothing," Tsukiko smiled sweetly. "But you seemed to have a good sleep last night, that's all. I mean, I didn't hear you scream once last night. . ." she let her voice trail and her gaze lingered for a moment on his face before turning away. "You said you always had that dream, ne? With the screaming woman, or Sakura-san more specifically. The night I stayed at your place, you were thrashing around and screaming. And you said it happened every night, but last night. . ."

Akatsuki's eyes widened for a moment as he slowly sat back up. He leaned forward and smiled, something Tsukiko hadn't really seen for a bit now. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a small, relieved chuckle. "That's the first good nights' sleep I've had in five years."

Tsukiko smiled and stood back up. She looked back to Akatsuki, then crossed her arms playfully again. Right now, she figured, there was no use in dwelling on the past and the hurt. Right now, life seemed perfect, and all she wanted to do was go along with it, if even for a bit. "So let's go already! I want breakfast!"

Akatsuki sighed and closed his eyes, then said smugly under his breath, "Pig."

"Hey!" Tsukiko picked back up her pillow from the spot she had dropped it and threw it, but he caught it with ease. "I haven't really eaten since yesterday morning, and my stomach is growling!"

Akatsuki shook his head with a smirk riding his face as he put the pillow down beside him on the bed and stood back up. "Fine, just let me get dressed and we'll go downstairs to feed you. Kami, Tsukiko, I'd almost take you for Kero-san right now."

Tsukiko marched out of the room and slammed the door behind her before she could yell something rude in return to him.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko didn't know what to say when she and Akatsuki got downstairs and were directed by Wei to the living room, and neither did Akatsuki. They were noticed as soon as they entered the large, elegant room by four sets of eyes, not two. Both teens had no problems recognizing Sakura and Syaoran seated together on the sofa, but two other people were also seated in the room. One was an older woman who appeared to be in her late thirties to early forties, though something told Tsukiko she was somehow much older, with long graceful black hair and dark eyes. The other was also a woman, with jet black hair travelling just below her shoulders and bright ruby-red eyes.

Thinking it'd be rude to do anything else, Tsukiko gave a small bow to the group as the attention was placed on them. "Ohayou gozaimasu."

The red-eyed woman squealed and jumped up, running towards the two confused teens. She gave Tsukiko a quick hug, then the same to Akatsuki before turning back to the couple on the couch. "Syaoran! Why didn't you tell me that they were here _last _night!"

Syaoran sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, Meiling. We had to speak to them first."

Meiling rolled her eyes and began circling around the twins like a hungry lioness around her prey. She rested one hand on her hip while rubbing her chin with the other, as if thinking to herself. Finally, she stopped beside Akatsuki with a large smile across her face.

"Akatsuki-chan looks just like you when you were younger, Syaoran," Meiling nodded approvingly. "Very attractive indeed. I bet the girls just throw themselves at you, ne, Akatsuki-chan?"

"Na-nani!?" Akatsuki choked as his face began to turn a deep shade of red. First of all, she was calling him Akatsuki-_chan_, and he wanted to know where the heck that came from. Another was how easily she spoke her thoughts, even when they were out of line. He shot a glare over to Tsukiko, who was desperately trying hard not to laugh her head off.

"No need to be modest about it," Meiling gave a small wink. "You should have seen Syaoran at your age. I swear, if it wasn't for the fact that he already had Sakura, I think every girl would have wanted a piece of him. Heck, I bet a lot of them still did even _with_ Sakura in the picture!"

Now it was Sakura's turn to blush slightly, "Meiling-chan. . ."

Meiling ignored her and turned to Tsukiko, making Tsukiko's urge to laugh suddenly cease. "And look at you, Tsukiko-chan! My goodness, just as lovely as your mother, with a nice bust line to boot!" She turned to Syaoran and winked. "You know, she gets that from our side of the family."

"Meiling!" Syaoran hissed angrily.

"Well you know it's true!" Meiling scoffed. "I mean, no offence Sakura-chan, but you, Syaoran, out of all people must have realized how small Sakura-chan is, so there's no way Tsukiko-chan got all that from her."

Sakura's cheeks tinged with pink, as did Tsukiko's. They both looked to each other nervously, then back to Meiling. Sakura cleared her throat and gave a weak smile, "Meiling-chan. . .don't you think that's a little out of line? She's only fifteen."

"Fifteen and a half," Meiling corrected with a small wink. Then she turned to Tsukiko and pouted, either oblivious to the girls' reddening face or just ignoring it. "I have to say, I am a bit jealous. What are you, a C? I'm only a B."

"Meiling!" Syaoran said angrily, then also began to turn a light hue of pink. "We didn't bring you here to talk about. . .err. . .to discuss. . . well, y-you know. . ."

Meiling opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by the other woman standing up. The woman awed Tsukiko with her sheer beauty. She wore a beautiful and elegant old-style Chinese dress that flowed down to the ground gracefully. Her pure black hair was tied back tightly, and she wore darker, more defined make-up. She seemed to hold respect in the household, seeing as Meiling shut her mouth as soon as she looked her way and stood.

"That is enough, Mei Ling," the woman said, motioning her to take a seat. Obviously upset about it, Meiling took a seat on the couch beside Sakura but didn't complain. The woman waited until Meiling sat down before slowly approaching the twins. She stopped in front of them, and gazed at them, as if trying to see through the two, sending a shiver down Tsukiko's spine.

Finally, a small, tight smile tugged at her lips. Her eyes shone cheerfully as she took her time viewing Akatsuki and then Tsukiko. "I never thought I would have the chance to ever see my grandchildren again."

"Gr-grandchildren?" Tsukiko asked with wide eyes. "So you're our. . ?"

"This is my mother," Syaoran cut in, staying seated as he introduced her. "Li Yelan."

Tsukiko looked shocked as the woman gazed down at her with the softest of smiles. "Obaa-sama?"

Yelan smiled and nodded, "Now, that is something I never thought I would hear in my lifetime," she paused and a small smile crawled onto her lips. "But I am glad I did."

Yelan turned to Syaoran with pride shining in her eyes, and smiled a bit more. It was uncommon for Li Yelan to smile, Syaoran quickly realized, but he was glad that seeing her grandchildren could make her so happy. It was the one thing she had always wanted.

"Xiao Lang," Yelan began, looking at her own son. "I can sense that both of these children are very powerful indeed. They seem to have almost mastered their individual powers already, and I would not expect it to be too long before they can split their magic. They are both incredibly strong."

"Hai," Syaoran also smiled, the pride in his children growing in his own eyes as he reached out for Sakura's hand and entwined his fingers with hers. "It was the first thing Sakura and I noticed about them last night."

Yelan turned back to the children, her eyes quickly landing back on Tsukiko. Her eyes gazed deeply into the girl's amber ones, making Tsukiko tremble again. Then, without warning and not harshly, Yelan took her granddaughter's chin into her hand and tilted her head up a bit to peer farther into her eyes. The smile sank a bit, but the pride in her eyes grew.

"And you, my dear, are very powerful, indeed. I would say even more powerful than your brother," Yelan said softly, mostly for only Tsukiko to hear. "You have a secret power resting in you that will help us win this battle, and although it may scare you at first, do not run away from it. If you believe in yourself and your mother's invincible spell and use it, everything will turn out fine."

Tsukiko opened her mouth to say something, to ask what the woman meant, but before she could Yelan had turned back around and was walking back to her chair. Hesitantly, Tsukiko followed and took a seat on the smaller couch across from Sakura, Syaoran and Meiling, making a mental note to ask about this 'invincible spell' later. Akatsuki soon followed after her and sat down beside her.

"As I was saying," Yelan started, picking up from where she had apparently left off before the young teens had entered the room. She turned back to Sakura and Syaoran with concerned eyes. "The Elders have called for a meeting for tonight, and you, Xiao Lang, are needed there."

"Do you think they know anything?" Sakura asked nervously, biting her lower lip.

"No," Yelan answered with a small pause. "Still, I wouldn't advise skipping this meeting, either of you. Sakura, you usually come to these meetings with Xiao Lang, so it may be suspicious if you do not go tonight."

Sakura nodded, but still couldn't help but voice her concerns. "What about the twins?"

"They must stay here of course," Yelan told her. "I must attend the meeting as well, but Mei Ling will just be down the street at her house if anything is to happen, which I doubt it will. I do not know if this has anything to do with the meeting tonight, but Xin is in Japan as of now, it has been confirmed."

"But then he may know that they're here?" Syaoran asked his mother with a raised eyebrow.

"It is possible," Yelan admitted. "Dao Ming mentioned something to me about him wanting to get a plane back here, on the account he has forgotten something. When I suggested we mail him what he had left behind, Dao Ming said that Xin wanted to come here to get it himself."

"I see," Syaoran said, angrily grinding his teeth together. He eased up only when he felt Sakura gently squeeze his hand, which he thanked her for by gently smiling down at her.

"Still, we can't leave Akatsuki-kun and Tsuki-chan here alone, even if Xin isn't here," Sakura told Yelan with concerned eyes. "Maybe we can reschedule it?"

"No, my dear," Yelan said gently in her elegant voice. "We have to continue with a normal schedule. Normally, neither you nor Xiao Lang would never even think of rescheduling, correct? So we cannot tonight. It would be too suspicious."

"Demo. . ." Sakura trailed off and gazed over at her children on the other couch with sad eyes.

"Don't worry about them, Sakura-chan!" Meiling said happily. "Like Aunty Yelan said, I'll be just down the road. And I'll come check up on them, but Wei-san is also here and he won't let anything happen to them."

"There is nothing to worry about," Yelan assured Sakura. "Xin is not here, and he cannot return tonight, anyway."

"Still. . ." Sakura bit her lower lip.

"We'll be fine," Tsukiko told her with a smile. "We can just stay here, and we'll be fine, ne?"

"See?" Meiling said happily. "Tsukiko-chan's okay with it. And they'll look out for each other, along with Wei-san and I. Nothing will happen, Sakura-chan. So just go."

Sakura looked to Syaoran, who seemed to be trying to tell her the same thing, then to the two sitting teens across from her. After a bit, she sighed and agreed to go, on the firm promise that Syaoran would cut the meeting short so they could get home earlier.

XxXxXxX

Sakura hurried down the stairs, frantically trying to put in her second earing. She was wearing a soft pink skirt-suit set, her shoulder length hair tied up in an elegant bun. She rushed to the front door where Syaoran stood, dressed in black pants, a white collared long-sleeved shirt and midnight blue tie. He smiled to her as she made her way toward him and quickly slipped on her white flats.

"Okay," Sakura sighed, trying to catch her breath. She turned to Tsukiko and Akatsuki, who were standing not too far down the hall from her. She smiled to them, but her eyes looked anxious and worried. "Keep each other safe, and remember to stay inside."

"Don't worry about them," Syaoran told her, gently taking her hand. "But if we don't hurry up, we're going to be late and the Elders don't have much patience."

"Hold on, Syaoran," she told him sternly, giving him a small glare then turned back to her children. "Meiling-chan will be here in about an hour to check up on you, and Wei-san is still here, alright? And if there's an emergency — "

"Sakura," Syaoran sighed heavily. He opened the door and began pulling her along with him. "They're fine. They'll just be here anyway, there's no need to worry."

"Still," Sakura bit her lower lip nervously. "Even if Xin isn't here, Hong Kong is dangerous during the night, and. . ."

"We'll be fine," Tsukiko smiled to Sakura as Syaoran pulled her out the door. She gave a small childish wave to the two as the door closed behind them. "See you in a bit!"

Tsukiko turned around and opened her mouth to speak to Akatsuki, but closed it in confusion when she saw his figure disappear down the hall into the living room. Sighing, she followed him and saw him sitting on the couch, looking out the window at the nearly set sun. She smiled, and took a seat beside him.

"They're really nice people, ne, Akatsuki-kun?" She asked with a large smile.

Akatsuki shrugged his shoulders and didn't look at her, frowning to himself. "I guess so."

Tsukiko also frowned, "What's that supposed to mean? You don't like them?"

The boy sighed, finally prying his eyes away from the window to see Tsukiko giving him an almost disapproving glare. His face showed next to no emotion, which he knew would concern the girl, but he couldn't help it. "Look, Tsukiko. . .you don't want to know what I think so why don't we just drop it, alright?"

"No," Tsukiko said between pursed lips. "What is it you want to say?"

"I don't think — "

"Tell me now, Akatsuki-kun."

"Fine!" Akatsuki almost yelled, getting fed up. His eyes blazed as he looked down at Tsukiko, his hands balling up into tight fists on his lap which he knew she took notice to right away. "I don't trust them, alright? Happy now? I don't trust any of them! They're all Lis!"

"But why!?" Tsukiko yelled back, her eyes dancing with angry flames and matching his own.

"How can you!?" He shot back. "When they — !"

"Don't you _dare _say 'abandoned us' or 'left us', not after they explained it all!" She yelled at him. She stood up, and her fists also scrunched up into tight balls and shook by her side. "They told us why! They did it to protect us, protect _you_! Don't you dare try and use that excuse again!"

Akatsuki also stood, "See? I told you you didn't want to know! So just drop it, okay?"

"No, I won't!" she stepped closer to him and got into his face. "Those two are the nicest people I've ever met, and I saw the pain in their eyes when they told us about our past and how they had to give us up! Didn't you see it? How hurt they were and how much pain was brought up just explaining it all to us? And what about yesterday, when otou. . .Li-s. . .Syaoran-san. . ." she stumbled again with a faint blush, not knowing how to address the two people who claimed to be her parents. She didn't doubt they were her parents, but she still didn't know what to call them. She shook her head and continued. "Didn't you listen when he gave you his own explanation when you went ballistic? Didn't you listen to him!?"

Akatsuki's eyes softened, but only slightly. "Of course I did. . ."

"Then!?" Tsukiko didn't lower her voice. "How can you say such things about them then!? And don't even think of using that 'well, if you lived my life' junk on me, because you don't need to live that life anymore! You just choose to now!"

"That's too far, Tsukiko," Akatsuki growled dangerously.

"You know what I think?" Tsukiko ignored his last comment and continued, taking another step closer to him. "I think you just don't _want _to like them, because up until now, they've been the two people you always swore to hate and never forgive, because they were the ones who left you at that orphanage. I think you like them, but don't want to and won't admit that they're good people because you're too freaking stubborn!"

Akatsuki's face paled as her words hit him hard. He didn't have time to retaliate before Tsukiko had whipped around and fled out of the room. He had seen the tears glistening in her eyes, but had decided to ignore them and just focus on her previous words.

Akatsuki didn't even realize what was going on until he heard the front door slam shut. He ran to the front door, snapping out of his daze, and yanked open the door to see Tsukiko running off into the already dark night. He called out her name, but his plea went unheard as she disappeared down toward Central Hong Kong.

He cursed loudly before hauling on his own shoes, grabbing his jacket off the stairs banister and running after her.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko stepped out of the cab that she had been able to stop once she was in the busier part of Hong Kong, and quickly began regretting running off in the first place. First of all, she had forgotten a jacket and realized that even though Hong Kong was warmer than Japan during this time, she was still shivering slightly as the moon raised higher into the sky and night set in. After all, she was only in a skirt and tank top, since she had removed the blouse through the day when she had become too warm. And second of all, she realized Hong Kong was a lot busier at this time, and was only growing busier with each passing minute as people crowded around bars and clubs to begin their night life, since it was nearing ten-thirty at night already. Constantly, Tsukiko found herself being pushed and shoved, having to squeeze through the tight crowds of people.

Finally, she stumbled across a small park. It seemed completely out of place, being in the middle of the busiest part of the large city. It seemed so innocent, being a place where children came to play, when it was surrounded by places where people drank and partied just across the street. But it seemed so peaceful, so welcoming, even if it did only consist of two swings, a sandbox and a small, rusting slide. Tsukiko smiled slightly, wrapping her arms around herself to keep herself warm, and walked over to the swings to take a seat. Gently, she began rocking herself back and forth, her gaze resting on the tiny pebbles underneath her feet.

_Akatsuki wa baka desu, _she thought bitterly. _Why won't he just grow up and see that these people didn't intend to hurt him, but to save him? Kami, he can be such a piece of work!_

These types of thoughts continued to circle her mind, and while they did, she tuned out her surroundings. She was sure she heard her phone ring, but each time she chose to ignore it. Eventually, growing annoyed by the ring, she pulled it out of her skirt pocket and frowned, reading that she had missed twenty calls from Akatsuki. Scowling, she turned it off and shoved the phone back into her pocket. She was sure she'd be scolded later, but at the moment she didn't seem to care.

It was completely dark now, and she had been missing for nearly half an hour. But now, she was fully in her own world. So in tune with her own world that she missed the footsteps fast approaching her until an unfamiliar voice spoke above her. She looked up when she heard a boy speaking quickly in an unfamiliar language, and was met with large, dark stunning purple eyes. The boy seemed close to her age, and just as tall as Akatsuki, with large worried eyes and straight charcoal black hair that curved around his face nicely, flowing just past his jaw line. He resembled a singer Tsukiko had vaguely heard about.

Upon seeing the girl's confused look, as Tsukiko had no clue what he was saying, he frowned even more. He asked a new question, but slowed down his pace so she could follow along and this time it seemed to work as her face slowly lit up when he began to speak again. "Ni shi cong nar lai de?"

Tsukiko almost leaped for joy when she realized he was speaking in Mandarin, and miraculously she seemed to know what he asked; _where do you come from?_ She figured that he had been speaking Cantonese before, since she had read that the part of Hong Kong she was in had a larger population of Cantonese speaking people, and planed out her sentence in her head. When she had her sentence, she answered him with a weak, forced smile, "Wo shi cong Ri Ben lai de. Wo dong yi dianr Han yu."

The boy smiled and nodded in an understanding way, "Ri Ben?"

"Dui," Tsukiko answered with a small nod, maintaining her smile.

He smiled and held out his hand to her politely, smiling warmly when she took it and stood up. His gaze was soft and friendly, as were his words. "Konbanwa," he spoke in perfect Japanese. "Boku namae Wang Kai Xing."

Tsukiko gave him a surprised look as he spoke in her language. When he spoke, it sounded so natural as if he had grown up with Japanese as his first language. He saw her surprised look and smiled, letting go of her hand.

"Anata wa?" He asked kindly.

Tsukiko snapped out of her trance and smiled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She was embarrassed for dazing out like that. "Tsu-Tsukiko."

"Tsukiko?" He asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Just Tsukiko-san then?"

She slowly shook her head, her cheeks heating up even more. She said the first thing that came to her mind, not giving herself time to think it over before the words left her lips, "Li Tsukiko."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki cursed loudly to himself as he wandered down the busy streets of Hong Kong. _Why was she like this? _he thought angrily as he pushed himself through the crowds of people. He had been calling her phone non-stop since he had left the house, with no success. Even though he knew she had most likely turned off her phone by now, he couldn't help but keep trying to call with the small hope that she would turn it back on and pick up. And in case she happened to call back, he clutched his phone in his hand in a tight, white-knuckled grasp.

He looked down at his watch and cursed again, realizing that he had been looking for her for nearly half an hour now, and that she had been out for even longer since she had had a ten minute head start. It had been difficult to catch a cab down to the more central part of Hong Kong, and was wondering how Tsukiko had gotten down before him. If she had been running the whole way, he would have passed and saw her in the cab.

And in about twenty-minutes, Meiling would be turning up at the house. What would she think when she arrived and realized both kids were gone, after being told to stay inside? She didn't seem like the type of woman Akatsuki wanted to anger.

"Damn it!" He mumbled angrily to himself, pushing through the thickening group of people around him. "Where the hell _is_ she!?"

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko clutched the warm paper cup of steaming coffee in her hand tight, letting the warmth flood her fingertips and travel through her hand. It felt so nice in her hands as she walked along beside the Chinese boy she had met.

He smiled down at her, "Does that feel better then? Sorry they didn't have the hot chocolate you wanted."

Tsukiko blushed slightly and shook her head. Hot chocolate. . .what was she thinking? He probably thought she was childish now! She looked up at him, thankful for the darkness of the night so he couldn't see her reddening face. "No, it's alright. Thank you so much for the coffee!"

"So, are you ready to go back now, Li-san?" Kai Xing asked kindly.

Tsukiko quickly looked away and let her answer run in her mind for a while before answering. She couldn't understand it, but she didn't know a thing about this boy and yet she had completely lowered her guard around him. When he had found her, and asked why she was out alone at night — which she found out was what he had been asking her the first time he began talking to her in Chinese — she actually told him what was wrong. Well, sort of. Not the whole thing, just that she was angry with someone and needed some fresh air. He seemed to understand, and offered to be her escort for the evening since it wasn't safe for a girl, let alone a tourist, to be wandering through Hong Kong alone at night in that area.

And surprisingly enough, even though a red-flag was waving in Tsukiko's mind since she didn't know him, she let him. They went to a small coffee shop that was just closing up for the night, which Kai Xing had explained was his uncle's café which he worked at. He had just gotten off work and was on his way home when he found Tsukiko sitting alone on the swing. His uncle, though somewhat upset that Kai Xing for not going home right away, smiled when seeing the girl and made Tsukiko her coffee. They had stayed for only a bit, and now it was nearing midnight.

"Iie," Tsukiko finally said in a faint voice. "I. . .maybe I'll just stay out for a bit more."

The boy smiled and nodded approvingly, "Then I'll stay with you."

"Gomen nasai, Wang-kun," Tsukiko looked up at him with a weak smile. "I don't like being such a burden. I'm sure I'd be alright if you'd like to go home. I'm sure your parents are worrying about you by now."

The boy shook his head and smiled at her, giving a small amused laugh. "Don't worry about it, Li-san. It's no problem at all. In fact, if it's that you still just want time to cool off, I may know the perfect place."

XxXxXxX

"Kirei!" Tsukiko gasped, her eyes widening as she peered out to the beautiful scenery. Kai Xing had brought her to the harbour, to an empty dock, and the scene was breath taking. The dark water was calm, without a single boat on the water. The brightly lit full moon had a perfect reflection on the water's surface. It was so peaceful, Tsukiko could hardly believe she was still in Hong Kong if not for the loud crowds she could still faintly hear in the background.

Kai Xing looked down at her, a cheerful smile plastered on his face. "So, you like it then?"

"I love it!" Tsukiko squealed, smiling up at him. "It's gorgeous. . .like something from a painting."

"I'm glad," the boy smiled, sighing and taking a seat on the dock. He removed his shoes and set them beside him, then swung his feet over the edge of the dock and let the tips of his toes touch the water's surface, sending a small ripple through the still water. "You seemed like the kind of girl who enjoys nature, and turns to something peaceful like this place to get away from problems. I come here all the time. It's just so. . .calming."

"Hai," Tsukiko smiled slightly, a faint blush running across her cheeks. She took a seat down next to him, keeping a healthy distance between them. "Th-thank you, for showing it to me."

They sat in silence for a bit, just admiring the lovely scene in front of them. Tsukiko continued to shiver slightly from the night's nipping cold, and pulled her knees close to her chest for warmth. She had long since finished the coffee, and regretted drinking it so quickly. She felt a worried gaze on her, making the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She turned to see Kai Xing looking down at her with concern, and he answered her unspoken question before she could voice it.

"You're shivering," he stated slowly, frowning. "Why wouldn't you have taken a jacket with you when you left your hotel?"

"It's nothing, really," Tsukiko tried to smile just as a cool breeze blew in their direction and made her tremble slightly. Still, she kept on her smile even if it was weak. "I was stupid and in a rush, that's all."

Suddenly, his jacket was around her. His hand gently brushed her shoulder as he pulled away from setting it on her shoulders, making her shiver again but for a different reason that she couldn't explain. She smiled gratefully, and tugged the jacket closer to her. It felt so warm on her, and without realizing what she was doing, she inhaled deeply. She blushed slightly, realizing he smelt of fresh rain, which she strangely enough found quite comforting. She liked it.

"That should help," the boy smiled, obviously not realizing what effect he was having on the Japanese girl. "It wouldn't be good if you got a cold on your vacation, huh?"

"A-arigatou gozaimasu," she squeaked, trying to push down her deepening blush.

Kai Xing smiled and looked back out to the water, a gentle breeze blowing through his straggly black hair. "Do you think you'll be okay to return soon? I'm sure people are getting worried about you."

"Yeah. . ." Tsukiko sighed. She turned to him and smiled, "Thank you, for everything. You've been very kind to me."

"Not at all," Kai Xing looked back at her and also smiled. "If you tell me what hotel you're staying at, I can take you there before I head home myself."

"Actually, I'm not staying at a hotel," Tsukiko said gently. A small voice was telling — no, _yelling_, at her to stop there and simply walk back on her own, but she couldn't help but trust the boy beside her. She turned around and pointed toward Victoria Peak, though you couldn't see anything over the distant row of tall building, though she hoped that Kai Xing would know where she was talking about. She didn't see the shocked look on the boy's face as he followed her finger and seemed to know what she meant right away. "I'm staying there, with Xiao Lang-san."

"Li. . .Li. . ." his eyes suddenly widened. "You're one of _those _Lis?"

Tsukiko felt as though she had been slapped, and began to panic. "I-is that a bad thing?"

"No!" Kai Xing said quickly, realizing his mistake. He smiled and shook his head. "No, a lot of them are really nice. Li Ying Fa-sama is really sweet. . .she usually comes into my uncle's café in the morning to sit down and drink her morning coffee. Her husband's nice, too, especially to her. They're really kind together. . ." he paused and tilted his head to the side. "Were you mad at one of them? Is that why you ran off?"

"Iie," Tsukiko looked away. "Actually, I got into a fight with — "

"TSUKIKO!"

Both Tsukiko and Kai Xing stopped and turned around to see a boy with messy brown hair running towards them down the dock. Tsukiko stood up and took a few slow steps towards him before the boy was in front of her. Angrily, he grabbed onto her shoulders, making Kai Xing stand but not do anything, as the jade-eyed boy looked down at her with rage burning in his eyes.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Akatsuki asked in anger. His voice was harsh, and he spoke between clenched teeth. "And why isn't your phone on, baka!?" He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes. Quickly, his eyes softened and he gently pulled Tsukiko into a tight embrace. He swallowed the ball of tears forming in his throat. "I was so worried, Tsukiko. I-I didn't know if anything had happened to you."

Tsukiko wrapped her arms around him, returning the gesture, and settled into his embrace. "I. . . gomen nasai, I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm really okay."

Suddenly, she felt him stiffen in her arms. Confused, Tsukiko pulled away and looked up at him to see him scowling with narrowed eyes at something behind her. Glancing behind her, Tsukiko saw Kai Xing standing there with a blank look on his face. She blushed slightly, embarrassed for forgetting about him, and pulled out of Akatsuki's arms.

"Oh! Sumimasen, how rude of me," she smiled to Kai Xing and then turned to Akatsuki. "Akatsuki-kun, this is Wang Kai Xing-kun. He found me and has been keeping me company!"

Kai Xing gave a small polite bow to Akatsuki, "Konbanwa."

"Wang-kun," Tsukiko began, turning to him. "This is A — "

Akatsuki suddenly stepped in front of Tsukiko and glared at the boy, as if wanting nothing better than to squish him like a bug. Coldly, he said to Kai Xing in a low tone, "I'm her older brother, Akatsuki."

Tsukiko's eyes widened from a mixture of surprise and anger. She jumped in front of Akatsuki and faced him with frustration and confusion written across her face. "Akatsuki-kun! Why are you being to rude to Wang-kun? And why did you say that you're my. . ." she paused, her face slightly reddening. It was true, they had never actually said anything out loud about them being related, besides the one time Akatsuki had said jokingly what are brothers for. They had never really acknowledged it, so why now? But then, another thought set on her. She glared up at him with angry burning amber eyes, "Wait a minute, what makes you think _you're _old? Couldn't _I _be older?"

"Oh no," Akatsuki told her with a small smirk. "There's no way you're older. I'm definitely the oldest."

"You two are. . .twins?"

Tsukiko and Akatsuki turned to see Kai Xing with a raised eyebrow, looking at them with wondering eyes. Tsukiko smiled slightly, opening her mouth to answer him when Akatsuki butted in with a small growl, "Stay out of this, _**Wrong**_."

"His name is _Wang_, Akatsuki-kun," Tsukiko said angrily. "Why are you doing this? He was so nice to me!"

"I bet he was," Akatsuki growled again, not taking his eyes off of the boy. "You shouldn't be hanging around someone you don't know, Tsukiko. It's not exactly that smart."

"Please, Li-kun," Kai Xing began nervously, not noticing the name made Akatsuki flinch. "I was only worried for her. It's not safe for a girl to be outside during this time of night here. I would never try and hurt her."

"I bet," Akatsuki scoffed bitterly before turning his gaze to an angry Tsukiko. "Come on, Tsukiko. We're going back. . ._**now**_."

Before Tsukiko could begin protesting, he grabbed onto her wrist, probably tighter than he had intended, and began dragging her away from Kai Xing.

"Wait! Matte! Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko began, looking back frantically to Kai Xing. She tried to give a weak smile, "Go-gomen nasai!"

He smiled at her in an understanding way, making Tsukiko feel a bit better before she turned back to Akatsuki and gave him a death stare. "You had no right to do that, Akatsuki-kun. Wang-kun was so nice to me, and you acted like a complete jerk!"

"Look Tsukiko, you don't know him," Akatsuki told her straight out, not looking back at her. "For all you know, he could be some pervert just waiting for you to lower your guard so he can—"

"Eww! Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko said disgustingly. "Wang-kun wouldn't do that!"

"How do you know?" Akatsuki asked. Finally, her turned his head towards her but kept walking and pulling her along. "And you gave the name 'Li'. . .why?"

Tsukiko suddenly paled. When she had said her name, she really didn't think it over. Why _did _she say Li instead of Nanami? She didn't even know herself, even now. She glanced away and answered truthfully in a low mumble, "I. . .I don't know. It was just the first thing I could think of."

Akatsuki waited for a moment for a better answer, and gave a small 'tch' when she didn't say anything else, keeping her gaze off of him. He grabbed onto her wrist again, since she was slipping, and made Tsukiko wince. She looked down at her wrist on instinct, then gave a small gasp.

She hadn't realized she was still wearing Wang Kai Xing's jacket.

XxXxXxX

_**Chinese Lesson:**_

Ni shi cong nar lai de — where do you come from

Wo shi cong Ri Ben lai de — I am from Japan

Wo dong yi dianr Han yu — I understand Chinese a little

Ri Ben — Japan

Dui — That's right

XxXxXxX

**Please review if you liked this. Reviews are the only reward we writers can get. If there are no reviews, then it means no one likes the story, so what's the point of continuing? The last two chapters got very few reviews...so I take it this story isn't that great anymore? If it's not, I don't see a point in continuing. I have other ideas I'd like to start, so am I just wasting my time with this one? I can start on a new story instead, one I've been wanting to write but said I would finish 'HnK' first, or at least get to a certain point in it. **

**Sorry, not trying to sound ungrateful or anything. And I deeply thank those who do review regularly, but I honestly don't know what to think anymore. **

— **Raina**


	24. Chapter 23: Twenty Questions, Anyone?

_**Chapter twenty-three: Twenty Questions, Anyone?**_

Tsukiko woke up groggy, groaning to herself as the light flooded across her face from the window. Who had pulled back the drapes, anyways? She looked over at Akatsuki's bed and frowned, seeing the bed empty. At least it was made. He had left for breakfast without her as well. . ._Great_, she thought sarcastically. She closed her dark brown eyes as the events from the previous night replayed in her mind.

"_Where have you two been!?" An angry Meiling asked, annoyed; her hands rested firmly on her hips, as she glared down at the two who had just walked into the house. "I've been here for nearly two hours now. Do you know how worried sick I've been!?"_

"_Gomen nasai," Tsukiko spoke up before Akatsuki could. She gave a small apologetic bow. "It was my fault, Meiling-san. I. . .I ran off without thinking."_

_Meiling gave Tsukiko a hard stare, before switching her gaze to Akatsuki who seemed ready to say something, but decided against saying it. She sighed, and let her stiff arms hang loosely at her sides. "You're safe. . .that's all that matters. But," she gave a small wink. "Hope you don't mind if I decide against telling Syaoran about this. He'd have my neck if I told him about this. And his temper isn't one to be messing with, trust me."_

"_Oh no," Tsukiko mumbled, glancing over to Akatsuki at the corner of her eye. "I completely understand."_

_Meiling sighed again, "Sou nee, Syaoran and Sakura-chan should be home soon. I'd suggest getting upstairs and into bed before they get here, for all of our sakes." They began to walk away when the woman's voice stopped them half way up the stairs. "Oh, and Tsukiko-chan, if you want to talk about this later, I'm all ears. Just, please, don't do that again. You gave me a real scare."_

"_. . .Hai," Tsukiko said softly, before continuing up the stairs and leaving Akatsuki behind. She claimed the bedroom first and quickly changed into her sleep wear, knowing Akatsuki didn't have much patience for waiting to get in and get his own clothes. _

_And what surprised Tsukiko was when she opened the door for Akatsuki, she found him looking down solemnly at the ground, his hands shoved into his pocket. She opened her mouth to tell him that he could change, but he cut her off by simply looking at her with regretful eyes._

"_I. . .you were right," he told her in a small voice, startling Tsukiko. Wasn't he just angry at her? She'd never get how quickly he could change. "I didn't want to like them. I never wanted to forgive them. Every since I was little, I thought I'd never be able to forgive the people who left me. But now. . .I. . .they're not. . ."_

"_Don't worry about it," Tsukiko sighed with a weak smile to him. "I understand. Thank you."_

Tsukiko pushed herself out of bed and quickly changed for the day, taking advantage of the fact that Akatsuki was already up and she had the room to herself. She quickly pulled on a pair of faded jean shorts and a cute sky-blue tee. She left her hair down, only running a brush through it and placed a white head-band, keeping her bangs floating in front of her eyes, while pushing back the other loose hair back at the same time.

She ran down the stairs, and halfway to the kitchen, where she was sure she heard everyone talking, Tsukiko ran into Wei. She smiled at him brightly, "Ohayou gozaimasu, Wei-san!"

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Tsukiko-sama. You're quite happy this morning, aren't you?" The older man smiled gently back at her.

Tsukiko quickly frowned, grimacing at him, receiving a confused stare from Wei. "I. . .you don't need to be so formal with me, Wei-san. I'm really not in to the whole '-sama' thing. Is that alright?"

"Tsukiko-san then?" Wei asked with a raised eyebrow, and gave a small laugh when the girl nodded with a smile. "You really are alike, you and your mother. As soon as Sakura-san and Syaoran-sama married, she strictly told me not to be formal with her as well."

Tsukiko smiled, something leaping in her chest. She was just like her mother. Her smile grew as she gave a small, thankful bow. "Arigatou, Wei-san!"

"That reminds me," Wei began, making Tsukiko stand back up and look at him. "A young man is at the door for you, and he says he knows you. I was just on my way to wake you for him."

Tsukiko watched as Wei turned around and walked back down the hall, back toward the kitchen. She waited a moment, still in a daze from this new information. Her mind was telling her one thing, and one thing only, sending her heart fluttering twice it's normal rate. Her feet were rooted to the ground, wanting to move but couldn't.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she forced her legs to move again. She spun back around, back in the direction of the stairs, and ran to the front door. She yanked it open, and upon seeing the boy standing on the doorsteps with that warm smile of his, Tsukiko felt her heart suddenly stop beating.

There he was, dressed nicely in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a crisp white collared tee, the top two buttons down on the shirt undone. His violet eyes shone at her, so kind and warm. His hair wasn't exactly neat, but the way it swept off his face and curved around his face. . .Tsukiko turned slightly pink, but not enough for him to notice. Why did her knees feel so weak?

"Ohayou, Li-san," Kai Xing greeted warmly with a smile.

Tsukiko felt like collapsing, but she smiled as well. "Ohayou, Wang-kun."

"I hope your brother didn't scold you too much when you left," Kai Xing said kindly. "Was he the one you were angry with?"

Tsukiko nodded with another faint blush, "H-hai." She looked behind her after hearing a loud yell from what sounded like Akatsuki, before turning back to Kai Xing. She smiled faintly to him, trying to act as normal as she could. "So. . .umm. . .what brings you here?"

He smiled, "Well, I was sort of hoping — "

"Oh!" Tsukiko gave a small gasp as if realizing something. She blushed even more, and prayed to the gods that the boy didn't realize or think she was weird. "You probably want your jacket back, ne? Thank you for letting me borrow it last night, and I'm sorry I forgot to give it back."

"No, actually, that wasn't — " Kai Xing struggled to say as his smile turned from confident to nervous, but Tsukiko cut him off again.

Tsukiko opened the door and allowed him in, then quickly shut the door and dashed for the stairs, "I'll be right back! Your jacket is just in my room."

She was gone before Kai Xing could say anything, making the boy smile slightly. He couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she was all embarrassed. He looked around at the entrance of the Li Mansion and sighed, shoving his hands into his jean pockets and closing his eyes. He didn't think it'd be so difficult to ask her such a simple question.

"Oi," a cold voice said as footsteps approached the Chinese boy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kai Xing opened his eyes and saw the girl's brother approaching him, not an ounce of happiness lurking in his face. Even with the boy's harsh tone, Kai Xing tried to be kind. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Li-kun."

"Cut the crap," Akatsuki spat angrily, stopping in front of him and glaring harshly. "Tell me why you're here and what you want with Tsukiko."

"Please, Li-kun," Kai Xing gave a small polite bow. "I understand you worry about your sister, but I'm really not trying to hurt her. She's a very nice girl."

"How can you know," Akatsuki growled, "when you haven't even known her for a day?"

Before Kai Xing could respond, Tsukiko was running back down the stairs and holding onto his jacket. Both boys turned to her as she landed on the first step, and when Tsukiko caught Akatsuki's gaze on her, and she realized he seemed to be upset for whatever reason, she stopped and narrowed her eyes on him.

"Akatsuki-kun, what did you say to him? Are you being mean!?" She asked in a warning tone.

Kai Xing laughed slightly and took the jacket that Tsukiko was holding out to him, "No, really. . .Your brother is just looking out for you. He really does seem nice though."

Tsukiko ignored his remark, and continued to stare down Akatsuki, but he didn't seemed to be quavering one little bit. "Akatsuki-kun, I think you're being called."

"No I'm not," he told her between grinding teeth as he glanced over at Kai Xing with murderous eyes.

"Yes," Tsukiko said angrily. "I think you are. Now."

Reluctantly, Akatsuki left the two and headed back towards the kitchen with tightly balled up fists shaking by his side. He mumbled a few things before disappearing down the hall. He wanted nothing better than to rip apart the boy standing with Tsukiko. He couldn't understand it, but it was like suddenly his brotherly instincts had kicked in, and he certainly did not like that Chinese kid.

Tsukiko turned back to Kai Xing and smiled, "Gomen nasai, he can be a pain sometimes."

"Not true," Kai Xing said sincerely. "He's just being a brother." He looked down at his jacket and smiled. He tucked it under his arm and smiled to Tsukiko. "Actually, in all honesty, I didn't come all the way here for my jacket. Do you. . .well, I was wondering if you'd like to. . .I mean, I'd love to show you around Hong Kong today, Li-san."

Tsukiko looked up at him with wide eyes and quickly turned red. She tried to push it away, but the blush seemed determined to stay. She gave a weak smile and began to nod, "I'd love t — "

"I don't _think _so!" Came Syaoran's booming voice.

Tsukiko's and Kai Xing's heads snapped towards the hall leading down to the kitchen to see Syaoran and Akatsuki quickly making their way to the two. Sakura was hot on their tails, frowning at the back of her husband's head. Syaoran stopped beside Tsukiko and glared at the boy. Tsukiko shot Akatsuki a murderous glare, knowing that he would have told their father — whether he actually said the boy's name, or just mentioned a boy in general. Either way, Akatsuki wore a smug smile, as if taunting her.

"No Wang," Syaoran growled angrily. "Tsukiko isn't free."

Kai Xing turned to Tsukiko with a surprised look, "Are Li-sama and Ying Fa-sama your parents?"

Tsukiko didn't have time to answer though, because Syaoran had already spoken to the boy in an even angrier tone than before, "Damn straight we are!"

"Syaoran! You can't do that!" Sakura scolded, stopping beside her husband and staring up at him with disbelief. Syaoran looked down at her, looking as though he didn't care. She sighed, "I don't know what your problem is, Syaoran. You know this boy, he works at that coffee shop you like, remember? Didn't you say before he seemed like a nice kid?"

"No," Syaoran growled, looking back at the boy. "Not any more, at least."

Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled at Tsukiko, who was vibrant red by now. The woman couldn't help but realize how quickly and easily her daughter became embarrassed or nervous, just like Syaoran and herself when they were younger. "Tsuki-chan, you can go out. But we're leaving at five tonight, okay? So I need you to meet us at the front of the airport at four-thirty so we can check in with the pilot, alright?"

"Do you want us to come earlier than that, then? To check in luggage and everything?" Tsukiko asked.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "No, half an hour early is fine enough. We have our own jet and pilot, so we don't need to do all the extras like you do with commercial airliners."

Tsukiko slowly nodded and rushed Kai Xing out of the house before Syaoran and Akatsuki could retaliate, as both of them looked as though they were about to lash out at any moment. She was out the door, and Sakura was closing it behind her, when Tsukiko suddenly ran back into the house. She pulled Akatsuki aside and frowned, giving him a serious look.

"By the way," she told him in a low voice so not to be overheard. "If I were you, I'd speak to _them_ about what you've been wanting to, today."

Akatsuki's eyes widened, "How did you. . ?"

Tsukiko smiled and gave a small wink, "I'm your sister, that's how. I can see something's obviously upsetting you, and you keep looking at them like something's wrong. Talk to them, for Pete's sake, alright?" Akatsuki slowly nodded, making Tsukiko smile and run back to the door.

Sakura watched Tsukiko rush down the steps and toward the waiting cab where Kai Xing was waiting for her. She smiled warmly and closed the door, then turned to the other two.

Both had their arms crossed and staring angrily at her.

"How did they meet in the first place?" Syaoran asked through grinding teeth as his gaze shot down from Sakura to Akatsuki. He had his arms crossed firmly and flames of anger danced in his eyes.

Akatsuki struggled for an answer. Meiling hadn't told Sakura or Syaoran about the twins' disappearance, and neither of the teens had admitted it to them either. He quickly made up a lie, even though he also already hated the boy. "Tsukiko and I met him earlier, on our way here."

Syaoran nodded, then said in a firm voice to Akatsuki, "Follow them."

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled. "Don't be so mean. Just let her be. You said in the meeting last night that Xin couldn't come back until his plane that he already booked returns to Hong Kong, so there's no way he's here. _And_ it's not night. _**And**_Wang-kun is a very nice, respectful boy. She'll be fine."

"I don't like it," Syaoran grumbled. "She's only a child."

"I don't like it either," Akatsuki agreed. "This Wrong guy person. . .I don't like him, but. . ." he stopped and shook his head. No, he couldn't like that guy. It didn't matter how nice Kai Xing seemed, he refused to like him.

"She's almost sixteen," Sakura sighed. "And Wang-kun isn't a bad kid. Just. . .let her be, alright?"

XxXxXxX

"This is. . .amazing!" Tsukiko squealed as she poked her head out of the window of the ferry she was on with Kai Xing and looked around. She gazed down at the ocean below her, smiling at seeing the beautiful blue liquid around her. Up in the sky, it was almost cloudless with a few birds flying towards the horizon. If she hadn't know better, it was like the gods themselves had given her a chance for a perfect day.

Kai Xing smiled, "I'm glad you like it. You seemed to really enjoy the water last night."

"I did!" Tsukiko turned and smiled back to him. "Arigatou." She looked back out to the water and sighed happily, watching the harbour behind them slowly disappear. It felt great, she couldn't help but think, to be sitting in the ferry and letting the ocean's water spray up into her face ever so slightly. She just wished that she could have the courage to talk to Kai Xing, instead of being so shy and staying quiet.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She whipped around to face him with a huge smile on her face, "Wang-kun, let's play a game!"

Kai Xing smiled and raised an eyebrow, "What sort of game?"

"Twenty Questions," Tsukiko said quickly, pushing down the blush wanting to spread across her cheeks as Kai Xing smiled at her again. "We each take turns asking each other questions, one at a time. And we both get to ask twenty of them, that way we can know more about each other!"

He smiled with a nod, seeming amused by this. "That sounds fun. Alright, so you go first then?"

"Okay!" Tsukiko clasped her hands together excitedly with a happy smile. She began chewing at her bottom lip as she tried to think of a question. After a bit, she smiled and looked over at Kai Xing and into his vibrant violet eyes. "First question; how do you know Japanese so well?"

The boy smiled and nodded, as if he was expecting that question to be asked. "I told you I worked at my uncle's café, right? I actually usually live with him as well. You see, my niang, mother, died when I was about six, but my ba, father, is an important man in the industry he works for, and he's sent to Japan a lot for conferences and stuff. I stay here with my uncle, but my father always believed in the saying 'knowledge is power'. He thought I should learn different languages other than Chinese, so he also taught me Japanese and English, and a bit of French but not much."

Tsukiko's eyes widened when he finally finished, "How can you possibly learn so many languages?"

Kai Xing smiled and gently wagged his finger in a childishly chiding way, "One question at a time, Li-san. It's my turn," he watched her blush slightly and smiled; she was so cute. He already knew his question, though, and asked it right away. "So what happened last night that you were out alone? I know you said you were angry, but what happened?"

Tsukiko blushed slightly and smiled weakly. How did he make her feel this way? She couldn't understand that, or why she was blushing so much. She couldn't possibly fall for a guy in less than a day, could she? "My. . .ah, _brother_, and I got into an argument and I just got fed up. So I left, needing the fresh air to clear my mind. I know it wasn't right, but I wasn't really thinking straight when I ran off."

"I see," Kai Xing smiled kindly.

"Okay, my turn," Tsukiko smiled. "Why did you come up to me last night while I was at the park?"

Kai Xing looked taken back, "I thought it was sort of obvious — a girl, sitting alone in the middle of Hong Kong at night, surrounded by bars and drunken idiots. . .I was concerned. A lot of young girls know better and go out in groups," he smiled, seeing her look grateful for his actions, but continued their game. "Next question; If the Lis are your parents, why are you in China only now? Or no, forget about that. . .why don't you know Chinese? I didn't know they even had kids."

"Th-that's because. . .umm. . ." Tsukiko began to panic for an answer. She couldn't tell him the truth, but she also didn't want to exactly lie to him, either. It just didn't feel right to lie. She quickly thought of something, though, after seeing him raise an eyebrow. "That's because Akatsuki-kun and I just found out ourselves! We've lived in Japan all of our lives, living with our Aunt. . .ah. . .Tomoyo! Yeah, and Uncle Eriol, be-because our parents didn't want to have us grow up in the world they're in, with all that media and politics. They figured it'd be. . .umm. . . better for us."

"Okay!" Tsukiko said quickly before Kai Xing could say anything else. "My turn, ne? Let's see. . . do you have any siblings?"

"No," Kai Xing said happily. "I'm an only child. And I know that you have a brother. . .so is he always to protective of you?"

Tsukiko gave a small nervous laugh and scratched the back on her neck anxiously, "I was just as surprised as you were last night, actually. . ." she stopped and thought about it, then sighed once she remembered the whole thing with Kyoden and how he was then. "Actually, I suppose he has always been like this. But how about easier questions now, ne?" She smiled. "What's your favourite flower?"

"My favourite flower?" Kai Xing asked with a small smile. Upon realizing she was being honest, he began thinking of his answer. After a bit of hemming and hawing, he smiled at her and spoke at last, "Lilies."

Tsukiko frowned slightly, tilting her head to the side in a confused manner. Kai Xing watched this for a second, confused, before it settled in his mind why she would be confused. A nervous smile spread across his lips. "I know they're a funeral flower in Japan, so I guess I shouldn't really like them if they're a symbol of death. . .but I can't help it." His smile turned a bit more confident, a small glint lighting up in his deep purple eyes. "They're absolutely beautiful."

Tsukiko blushed slightly when she realized his eyes were scanning her face. She mentally shook the thought of him meaning something else with his words, and a weary smile spread across her lips. "Yeah, they're very pretty."

Kai Xing smiled, glad that he hadn't offended the girl. "But what about you? Do you have a favourite flower?"

Tsukiko smiled slightly, "Yes. Dahlias. Especially the verdi coloured ones."

The boy nodded, a small smile present both across his lips and eyes. He recognized this colouring, since his grandmother had loved flowers and had taught him many things about plants. The colour Tsukiko had told him had many dark purple petals with white tips, as if dipped in white paint.

As the game continued, both learned many things about the other. Tsukiko learned that Kai Xing's favourite colour was blue, and he loved dumplings but hated dark chocolate. He loved painting, history, soccer and, of course, the night. Especially coming down to the harbour and staring off into the water at night. But he didn't like snow very much and hated lots of noise, despite living in Hong Kong. She also learned that he was the same age as her.

Kai Xing had also learned about Tsukiko, though he was unaware of how many secrets she kept from him. He found out her favourite colours were pastel pink and green, and that she loved anything with pasta but hated the sticky fermented beans called natto. That she loved math and gym in school, but also enjoyed cooking. She loved hot chocolate, and her favourite singer was a Japanese artist named Hamasaki Ayumi. But she hated sewing, video games and English class.

Tsukiko felt horrible for leaving out so much about her real life, and when he would ask questions that she thought were too difficult to explain or she just couldn't tell him, she would try her best to explain it as vaguely as she could and lie to him as little as possible. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but how do you tell a someone, let alone a boy you just met, that you had magic and there was a crazy man trying to kill you and your brother?

She sighed just thinking about it; no, you wouldn't be able to either.

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki pushed around his breakfast on his plate, barely touching it. His head relaxed in the palm of his hand, and his elbow rested comfortably on the table as he found himself completely lost in thought. He could hear the Li couple talking in the next room, in the living room. Something about moving back. . .but he couldn't quite catch what they were saying. Not that he'd be able to hear even if he was closer. His mind was too preoccupied.

"_If I were you, I'd speak to them about what you've been wanting to today."_

He frowned, not able to understand how she had known that he needed to speak to them. Tsukiko had said it was because of the way he looked at them, but that couldn't have been all, could it? He gave a small groan and shook his head. He remembered seeing a documentary one time that said twins could be so close, that they could almost read one another's mind, some sort of bond they shared.

And yet, no matter how much Akatsuki wanted to avoid the subject, Tsukiko's words kept playing over and over in his mind. Finally giving in, he sighed and pushed his plate away, then stood up. If he was going to talk to them, it was better now while he still had the guts to do so.

XxXxXxX

"What is it you needed to talk to us about, Akatsuki-kun?" Sakura asked kindly. She was sitting next to Syaoran on the couch, both of them watching Akatsuki with expectant eyes. He had refused to sit when they had offered him a seat, and looked very nervous. He didn't want to meet either of their eyes. His fists were balled up at his sides and sweating.

"I. . .I wanted to apologize," he finally said after taking a deep breath. He gave a small bow, trying to show his respect, and felt their gazes on him intensify. "You have been so nice to me, and all I did was hold onto my past feelings about you. All I could do was remember how I had grown up, and who I live with now and I couldn't help but want to hate you."

"It's not something to apologize for," Sakura informed him with a sad smile. "It's not your fault. Of course you're angry — "

"But I don't want to be angry anymore," Akatsuki told them, standing back up straight. He kept switching his gaze from Sakura to Syaoran. "I don't. . .I don't want to hate you. Neither of you. And. . .I know it's something I have no right to ask, but I wanted to. . .I'd like to. . ."

"Akatsuki," Syaoran finally said, startling both of them. His voice was calm and kind, showing the side of him that Sakura had long ago fallen for. His sweet and sensitive side, but also the side of him Sakura had learned was the loving part of him. The side he showed to her, his family, and once upon a long time ago, his babies. "I understood you would be angry, especially if you were anything like me, which you are. Trust me, you most certainly are. Both of us, your mother and I, knew that would happen because of what we did, but that doesn't mean we have ill feelings towards you. Doesn't mean we won't listen to what you want to ask. So, go on. . .and ask it already," he said kindly with a small smile.

"R-right," Akatsuki smiled weakly, making Syaoran's small smile grow slightly. In his mind, his sister's words came back into his minds, telling him he had to ask now. "When we get back to Tomoeda, I. . .I'd like to live with you."

When there was no immediate reaction from either Sakura or Syaoran, short of for their wide-eyed shocked expressions, Akatsuki regretting asking right away. He looked away, angry with himself, and felt his fists tighten by his sides. "I. . .gomen, I shouldn't have asked. I — "

Suddenly, he was being crushed against another body. He gave a small gasp, his eyes growing as he felt Sakura wrap her arms around him and pull him close to her. It was such a warm and gentle gesture, a motherly hug, something he had never felt before. And before he knew it, he was lost in the moment and forgot about everything else other than how right this felt. He didn't even realize when a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Silly," Sakura said happily to him, feeling Syaoran approach her and rest his hand on her back. "Why did you feel so nervous about that? Of course you can live with us."

Her words rang in Akatsuki's ears for a moment, and his eyes quickly caught Syaoran's warm gaze. The older man seemed so at ease, and there was something glowing in his eyes. Was that. . . happiness? Akatsuki didn't understand what the man's emotions were, other than he seemed almost relieved over what Akatsuki had asked them.

Finally, Akatsuki smiled and, with a small content sigh, wrapped his arms around his mother.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko looked down at her watch and sighed sadly. She was hoping that the clock on the wall of the ice-cream parlour had been wrong, but it wasn't. It was just past four in the afternoon, telling her she needed to get going to the airport. She had gotten a text from Akatsuki telling her that they were going earlier to check in their stuff and make sure the Lis personal pilot for the family jet would be ready to go. The three of them would be waiting at the main doors to the airport, and Akatsuki would have her bags ready there for her.

"It's almost time for you to go then, huh?" Kai Xing asked sadly, making Tsukiko's attention snap back up to him.

She smiled sadly and slowly nodded, taking another spoonful of her sundae. She let the ice-cream melt in her mouth slowly, trying to smile but the smile only fell when she saw the boy's sad eyes staring at her.

"It's too bad we didn't meet earlier," he said sadly. "You're. . .a very nice girl."

That was it. All day she had been getting better and better at pushing down the blushes that wanted to appear in her face over the things Kai Xing did, or said, or whenever he even looked at her. But now, she completely caved. She blushed, hard. Probably the hardest she had been all day. And seeing this, the boy smiled.

"You're really cute, Li-san," he said happily with a small, gentle laugh.

"H-hoee?"

No sooner than the word. . . noise. . .had left her lips, Tsukiko's eyes widened in horror and she clasped her hand over her mouth. Great, she groaned to herself, a perfect time to slip up! If he didn't think she was odd before with all the blushing, he must have really thought of her as being weird now.

But no, the boy didn't say anything at first. At first, all he could do was stare at her. And when he realized how shocked she was at saying that, a smile snuck onto his lips and he gave a small chuckle, "What was that?"

"I. . .I. . ." Tsukiko slowly pulled her hands away from her mouth. "J-just pretend you didn't hear that, okay? Please?"

"Why?" The boy asked with a small smile. "It was cute."

"Y-you honestly think so?" Tsukiko asked in a small voice, blushing an even deeper shade of red.

"I honestly think so," he answered sincerely, loving her reaction. Her blush had gone down, though not that much, and she wore a small, bashful smile. He smiled back at her, and stood up. He left the money for their desserts on the table, then went to stand beside Tsukiko and offer his hand to help her up. Slowly, Tsukiko accepted and took his hand, standing up with his help. But he didn't take his hand away from her's after she stood, and instead he entwined his fingers with hers and began to walk toward the door.

"But we better get you to the airport," Kai Xing said slowly, sighing to himself as he pulled out his phone to call for a cab. "We're going to be late getting there if we don't hurry."

"O-oh," Tsukiko said slowly, reality sinking back in for her. She looked away from him as he dialled the cab company's phone number and sighed herself.

In all honesty, she wasn't sure she wanted to return to Japan. At least, not now. She loved her adoptive parents, and adored Akimi as her best friend, but she just didn't want to go back to it. She wanted to stay in China, with Kai Xing, who she was sure she had developed feelings for even with only spending a day with him. And for that time, Xin wasn't in China either. He was in Japan. And she felt safe knowing that he wasn't anywhere in China, instead of the usual panicking that she felt, wondering if he was in Japan or not, or back in Hong Kong.

"Li-san?" Kai Xing looked down anxiously when he realized Tsukiko seemed to tighten her grip on his hand, unconsciously, of course, and was chewing her bottom lip. He looked down the street to see their cab getting ready to pull up to the curb beside them. He squeezed her hand back, making Tsukiko jump slightly and realize her surroundings. He smiled gently, but remained worried for her, "You okay?"

"H-hai," she said with a small smile. She let Kai Xing lead her to the cab, helping her in before taking a seat beside her. As soon as the cab began to pull away, Tsukiko sighed and looked out her window, her head resting against the cool glass.

For her, it had been the perfect day. A day without having to worry about Xin, or magical practice with Kero and Yue, or keeping the secret of Akatsuki being her brother. Today, she felt like she had been a normal girl, something she hadn't felt for nearly five months now. And she wanted nothing more than to hang on to it forever. It felt so nice.

So why, she thought sadly, did she have to go back? To where her life was confusing and abnormal?

She felt the boy beside her slide his hand back into hers, and she sighed, ignoring the creeping blush that she easily kept down this time.

_Because_, she answered herself, _you're you_.

XxXxXxX

Kai Xing paid the driver, despite Tsukiko trying to convince him to let her pay since he had paid for everything else, and led her towards the entrance. They walked into the main lobby, and Tsukiko looked around for any sign of the Lis or Akatsuki. Frowning, she looked down at her watch. Nope, she was on time. . .so where was everyone else?

Kai Xing also seemed to notice their absence, so he took the chance to slip his hand into hers again, and slowly entwine his fingers with hers. He looked down to see her reaction, a faint blush and warm smile, and smiled back down at her.

"Oh!" Tsukiko gave a small surprised gasp and let her smile grow slightly. If she could, she wanted to hide her sadness from him. It wouldn't have been fair to him, she thought, to see her becoming all emotion just because she was leaving. After all, it wasn't _really _a date, was it? He had just wanted to be kind and show her around Hong Kong, right? Right?

She smiled, masking her true feelings, "You still have one more question to ask from our game!"

A small smile spread across Kai Xing's lips, "I do, don't I? Can I ask anything then?"

"Sure!" Tsukiko said happily.

"Can I have five more questions?" He asked, receiving an astonished look from Tsukiko as she cocked her head to the side slightly. "I know it's against the rules. . .but I still have five more things to ask, please?"

"Anou. . ." Tsukiko managed another false smile and nodded. "Okay!"

"Perfect," he smiled. "First question; Li-san, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Hoee?" Tsukiko's eyes widened with surprise, but quickly realized he was being sincere with the question. She slowly blushed and shook her head, not trusting her own voice for the time being.

A small, triumphant smile spread across the boy's slightly tanned face, "Hontou? You don't?"

"I-iie. . ." Tsukiko answered in a small voice.

"Then, next question; do you believe in love at first sight?"

Oh god, was Tsukiko ever blushing. A voice was screaming inside of her, _Yes! Of course I do! I believe in it right now! I believed in it last night!_ But she held her tongue, despite the ranting voice in her head. She swallowed, hoping to swallow her nervousness along with it, but it only seemed to make it worse. She finally gave a small smile and answered in a meek voice, "I. . .I suppose so."

"I do," he told her gently, turning to face her. He took her other hand into his as well, so he was holding onto both of them. He ignored the blush on her face since whenever he mentioned it, it just seemed to make her more nervous. Besides, he thought, she was cute when she was all like this. And even now, he was having a hard time pushing down his own blush. He was not the type of boy to start blushing. Maybe when he was younger, yes, but not now. Not when he was nearly sixteen. He cleared his throat, hoping to rid himself of his childish blush. "When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And. . .maybe that's why I went to see why you were alone, even though in my mind it was because I was simply concerned for you. I. . .I think I like you. No, that's not true. I know I like you."

Tsukiko began glowing crimson, letting his words echo in her ears. As soon as those simple words had left his lips, her whole body had suddenly felt warmer, and her hands, since he had been holding them, felt almost tingly. She looked around quickly for the people who were supposed to be waiting for her, swearing she had felt Akatsuki's aura, but didn't see anything. She looked back up at Kai Xing, the good majority of her blush gone, and smiled. "I think I may like you, too, Wang-kun."

He sighed, almost relieved, and smiled down to Tsukiko even more. He gently squeezed her small hands, "So can I ask the next question?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. He drew in a small breath before taking a small step closer to her, and leaned down only slightly, trying not to intimidate her. "Tsukiko. . .can I kiss you now?"

She gave a small nod and waited for him to give the kiss. With a small smile on his own lips, Kai Xing lowered his face closer to hers and gently rested his lips against Tsukiko's. He began to kiss her slowly, sweetly, without pushing or asking for entrance into her mouth. Tsukiko happily accepted the kiss, slowly trying to kiss him back — though she had never kissed like this before. With Kyoden it had only been pecks and even then, it was still usually on the cheek. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the amazing feeling, and slowly pulled her hands away from his to wrap them around his neck. Kami, her heart felt ready to explode. It felt so good, so nice. And still, he didn't deepen the kiss, being too afraid of scaring her off. Tsukiko wasn't sure if she was disappointed or not.

"Tsu. . .TSUKIKO!"

Akatsuki's harsh, astonished voice made the two pull apart quickly, though only from their kiss; they remained standing close to each other. Tsukiko looked over to see Akatsuki marching over towards her, with an angrier Syaoran right behind him and an angry looking Sakura behind them, though she seemed to be yelling at Syaoran instead of looking in Tsukiko's direction.

Tsukiko sighed and turned back to Kai Xing. She muffled a small giggle when she realized he was the one blushing. Though only slightly, and almost unnoticeable, Kai Xing was actually blushing.

"I. . .I guess I should ask my next question before I get beaten alive, huh?" He gave a weak smile, praying to the gods that she didn't notice the small amount of colour in his cheeks. Taking a chance, he took one more step closer to her and took her hands into his own again, then leaned in and gently swept his lips across her forehead. "Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

"I hope so," Tsukiko answered honestly, smiling at him sincerely. "I really hope so, Wang-kun."

"Please," he said in a low voice, smiling warmly down at her. "Tsukiko, I'd prefer if you were less formal with me."

"A-are you sure?" She looked nervously to her side to see Sakura grabbing onto the back of Syaoran and Akatsuki's shirts, and if Tsukiko was reading her lips correctly, she was threatening to take out her cards, which seemed to make Syaoran even angrier. Tsukiko turned back to Kai Xing, knowing she needed to get him to ask the last question quickly. "You sure you're okay with that?"

"In case you haven't noticed," he said with a small smile. "I've been calling you 'Tsukiko' for the last ten minutes now, Tsukiko."

Tsukiko felt her lips beginning to make shape, but she quickly stopped herself from giving another small 'hoee'. If she hadn't caught it, Tsukiko was sure she would have died on the spot when she said it again. Three times in one day, and she still didn't even understand that word. . .sound. . .thing even was or meant!

"L-last question then?" She asked with a nervous smile.

He gave something along the edge of a secretive grin and a smile; apparently, she hadn't noticed. Again, he bent down and brushed his lips against her forehead, momentarily not caring about the fuming father or brother. He might not see her again, no matter how much he wished for that not to be true, so he might as well make the best of it.

"I'll save that for later," he promised, receiving a small confused look from Tsukiko as she tilted her head to the side. He laughed slightly and explained himself, "If fate plays its role, we'll meet again, ne? So I'll ask at that time, later."

Tsukiko slowly nodded, her heart leaping when he grazed his lips quickly against hers before dashing towards the door. Sakura had lost her grip on the two, and they were making their way toward Tsukiko as fast as possible. She watched Kai Xing leave, giggling to herself that he felt the need to run so fast due to the scary family ready to murder him.

"That jerk," Akatsuki said sternly, his eyes narrowing on the door Kai Xing had exited out of. "He's such a jerk. . .kissing you like that in public."

"I-it wasn't a big deal, Akatsuki-kun!" Tsukiko finally said angrily, feeling herself float back to Earth. She turned and glared at him. "He's a perfect gentleman!"

"Whatever," Akatsuki mumbled, turning to see Sakura scolding Syaoran on running in over small things that he shouldn't react to. The boy smiled; okay, so maybe he was a bit like the man.

Sakura sighed, feeling the star-charm through her shirt, debating on whether she was going to actually use it on Syaoran or not. Thunder would be nice, or how about Firey, just on the sleeve of his shirt? A small smile ran across her lips though when she saw her daughter look back at the doors with longing eyes. Something had changed about her aura, or at least had brightened it. Sakura sighed happily, realizing that her daughter had a small crush.

"Tsuki-chan," Sakura finally said, snapping Tsukiko out of her daze. "Sorry we're late. . .but our pilot's ready in ten, so we need to get going."

"Oh, yeah. . .o-okay," Tsukiko smiled slightly to Sakura. Sakura smiled back at her, then turned around and began walking in the direction they all came from. Syaoran quickly met up with her, and slipped his hand into hers, then whispered something in her ear which made Sakura gasp and smack him. Syaoran seemed to be laughing though, making Tsukiko also smile. Even though they were adults, she couldn't help but think that they stilled seemed to be like teens in love, and the thought warmed her. It was all so cute.

"Tsukiko?" Akatsuki stopped walking away when he realized that she wasn't following, but she didn't respond. He sighed, but then an evil smirk ran across his lips. If she was ignoring him, then he knew how to get her to listen. "Oi! Imouto-chan!"

It worked. Tsukiko snapped out of her thoughts and glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously on him as if ready to pulverise him. "Akatsuki-kun, how do you know you're older!? I could very well be the oldest, _Aka-chan_."

He suddenly stopped, and Tsukiko grinned at his frozen reaction. He let the word seethe into his skin, then also narrowed his eyes on her, growling angrily with a twitching eyebrow. "That's. A. Girl's. Name."

"I know," she winked at him. "But I thought it was better than otouto-chan."

"No!" Akatsuki choked. "It's not!"

Tsukiko began to laugh uncontrollably at his silly reaction and ran after Sakura and Syaoran to catch up. This seemed to anger Akatsuki even more, as he ran after her yelling, "That's not funny, Tsukiko! Aka-chan isn't cute at all! Tsukiko!"

But happy times can't last forever, especially for a Li, and Tsukiko knew this. And as she boarded the black jet with the Li crest on the side, she felt as though with each step closer to the plane, she was one step closer to having to return to that dangerous, confusing life.

She sighed. Why couldn't she be a normal girl like today more often and return to the way it used to be before Xin had found her? Or better yet, why did Xin have to be in the picture in the first place?

XxXxXxX

****

Thank you SO much to — you guessed it! — my awesome betas: CheeseyCraziness, SilentCynara, and Tsuki.Senpi. The beta-ing was amazingly fast this time; faster than normal! I love you guys! All three of you are seriously the sturdy rocks that keep this story in place!!

And thank you tons to everyone who is/has reviewed so far! Your kind words of encouragement were/are great (haha...sounds sooo lame and cliche XD, but it's true!) and really do keep me going. Thanks again!!

— Raina


	25. Chapter 24: Back to Reality

_**Chapter twenty-four: Back to Reality**_

A pair of brown-grey eyes suddenly dilated, as if something had happened. He stood up, as if in a trance, knocking the desk in front of him and sending his mug of evening tea onto the ground. The mug crashed to the ground and broke.

"What s'up?" A small yellow plush toy asked nervously, looking up at the grey-haired man anxiously. One minute they had been watching television, and then all the sudden this. The man's movements had been so quick, it had sent a panicking chill through the plush toy's body.

"Don't you feel that?" Kinomoto Yukito turned to Kero and asked seriously. "**He** is saying that they're back. . .in Japan."

"Well then, when I get my hands on those kids, I swear they'll be sorry for even thinking about running off like that!" Kero said angrily, turning to Yukito who seemed almost unwilling to go at first, like something was bugging him. Kero growled, "What are you waiting for, an invitation!? Let's go!"

Yukito snapped out of it and nodded, grabbing his shoulder-bag he used for school and opened it to let Kero fly in it. He zipped it shut, keeping just a bit open for Kero to stick his head out, and grabbed his keys, then ran out the door and hopped into his car. He listened carefully to his other-self's instructions on where their auras were coming from, but Yue was telling Yukito something else as well; the twins were not alone.

"Are you sure?" Yukito asked his other-self. Kero looked over to him, knowing he was talking to the moon guardian.

_Positive_, Yue answered Yukito. _I would know her aura anywhere. . .even if Keroberus does not feel her yet._

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko sighed as she walked through the doors of the airport leading to outside, stretched, then leaned against the brick wall and rested her suitcase beside her. Akatsuki appeared right behind her, and leaned up against the wall beside her, setting his own suitcase down as well.

"How much longer do you think they're going to be?" Akatsuki asked, looking back at the doors.

"I don't know," Tsukiko answered truthfully, yawning as she spoke. "They said they just needed to talk to their pilot about getting the rest of their things here before the end of the week."

"Still," Akatsuki sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'd like to get home sooner rather than later."

Tsukiko bounced off the wall, startling Akatsuki. Her eyes quickly widened, and a curious glint suddenly appeared in them as she stood in front of him. "So. . .did you talk to them yet?"

Akatsuki raised an eyebrow, "Talk to who?

Tsukiko rolled her eyes, "_Them_! Sakura-san and Syaoran-san!"

A small smile spread across Akatsuki's face. He slowly nodded, receiving a blank look from Tsukiko as she began tapping her foot, as if demanding him for a full explanation. His smile grew, "I. . .we're going to talk to Mo — Iwakura-san and her husband right after we drop you off at home."

Tsukiko squealed, "That's great, Akatsuki-kun!"

A smaller smile than before crossed his lips, but the happiness shone through his eyes in full force, "Yeah, it is."

Tsukiko smiled at him as he turned his attention from her and brought it onto the door, waiting for it to open and for Sakura and Syaoran to appear. She was glad, in all honesty, that he had gotten over the feeling of abandonment. She was happy that he was looking at them as his parents, and not as the jerks who left him to rot. For her, in her eyes, Akatsuki had come far even in the past few days in Hong Kong. He seemed. . .different. As if more complete. She silently giggled to herself — if only she could convince him to ask a certain girl out now.

"Tsukiko-san! Akatsuki-kun!" An urgent voice yelled out.

Akatsuki and Tsukiko turned to see a grey-haired man with large round glasses running towards them, a red sling bag flopping at his side. Both teens could just make out the small yellow head sticking out from the bag, looking angrily at them. Panic spread through both of their bodies. When Yukito stopped at the top of the stairs in front of them, the twins braced themselves for the largest scolding of their lives.

Yukito peered down at them, angry but at the same time signs of relief were sketched into his eyes as he gazed down at the two. "Where have you been!? Do you realize how worried we both have been?"

"Worried is a minor understatement!" Kero flew out of the bag and into the open, flying into Akatsuki's face and yelling. "I was distressed for the past two days! I couldn't even eat the yummy pudding snow-rabbit back there made for me!"

Yukito waved his hand back and forth and gave a small, nervous laugh. "Keroberus-san did end up eating the pudding, however."

"Through my sorrow, yes," Kero said, an edge still in his voice. "No use in good food going waste."

Tsukiko saw someone walk out the doors in the corner of her eyes and felt panic seize her body. Quickly, she grabbed onto Kero and pulled him away from Akatsuki's face, and hid him in her tight, squeezing hands, trying to keep him from view of any wandering eyes.

"M-maybe we should go someplace else, ne, Kero-chan? Before someone sees you?" Tsukiko suggested.

"Na-ah!" Kero grumbled angrily, wiggling free from Tsukiko's grasp. He flew into her face and poked her nose with his tiny yellow paw. "How dare you two run off like that without saying anything to us! And _you_," he poked Tsukiko's nose again. "That trick you pulled by stuffing me until I was full was _not _nice!"

"Keroberus-san," Yukito began hesitantly, listening to his other-self's warnings. "I think we should listen to them first — "

"Now don't you start getting all soft with them, rabbit!" Kero yelled at him, his glare never leaving Tsukiko. "They should have known. . ." he suddenly stopped and turned to face the doors just as the door opened and a young-looking couple stepped out of the building — one with green eyes and the other with brown.

Kero seemed at a loss of what to say. His tiny, beady black eyes widened and his heart almost stopped for multiple reasons when the woman's green eyes settled on him. His mouth opened, but no words came out so he closed it again.

The woman blinked a few times, as if not believing what she was seeing at first, then smiled to both her guardians. "Please, don't be too hard on them."

"Sa. . .Sakura. . ." Kero let out in a slow, quiet breath.

Yukito smiled and strode over to her, holding out his arms and embracing her warmly. He felt her arms wrap back around him and he couldn't help but let his smile grow. He had missed his little sister-in-law. "Welcome home, Sakura-chan."

XxXxXxX

Sakura finished putting her own protection around her family and guardians using Shield, to keep them safe from others, and Illusion, to make it seem like no one was standing where they were, then returned to the group. They had decided to move their party to a small grassy field where kids came to fly their kites, and while Sakura placed her charms around the area, Syaoran quickly explained to the twins the magic that Sakura used since they had been watching her in awe as she swung her staff around with different cards in her hand.

"Now," Sakura sighed, returning to her husband's side. "Syaoran and I _will_ be staying, but I'd like you both to help with their training still, if you could."

The long, silver haired angel — as Yukito had turned into Yue as soon as they had gotten to the field — nodded, "Yes, of course. But these two have become very powerful since Keroberus and I found them. I'd advise, that you both teach them as well. There is not much more we can teach them, other than push them to expand their powers."

"I'd still like to know how the boy knew the girl was his sister. . ." Kero grumbled, standing on all fours in his true form. "And how they knew to go to Hong Kong, or how they knew who to look for."

"Easy," Akatsuki shrugged, receiving an angry glare from Keroberus. "We worked around you two. When Yukito-san would be busy with school, and you'd be in Tsukiko's locker for lunch. Or if you two were talking. . .we'd be doing research."

"And I supposed the Young Mistress told you about you two being related?" Yue asked seriously, both piercing blue eyes staring at the twins.

"I forced her to tell me." Akatsuki said before Tsukiko could explain herself. Yue's eyes narrowed even more on Akatsuki, but the hard gaze didn't shake the boy. "Don't blame her. I made her tell me. . .she didn't really have a choice. Although, even though okaa-san and otou-san forced you to keep everything a secret from us, both of us would have figured it out one way or another, even if Li didn't tell Tsukiko."

Keroberus had to restrain himself from laughing. He rolled his eyes and spoke under his breath, "I doubt that."

Syaoran cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He carefully looked from one face to the next, his own eyes very serious and solemn. "But Xin is here, so we all need to keep a closer look out from now on. More than likely, he'll be angry that the kids were in Hong Kong the same time he came to Japan. He may be more dangerous."

"For now," Sakura spoke up with a loving softness in her voice. "Kero-chan, I'd like to ask you to stay with Tsuki-chan for the time being."

"Nani?" Keroberus asked in disbelief, his gaze switching rapidly from Sakura to Tsukiko, then back to Sakura. "Isn't she living with you now? Aren't both of them living with you now?"

Sakura smiled as she felt her husband squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Akatsuki-kun will come to live with us, yes. Demo, Tsuki-chan has parents who love her, who she grew up with. And she of course loves them. I could never tell her to leave them, because they're the parents who raised her, Kero-chan. I would never pull her away from them."

"But. . ." Kero's eyes became sad and confused, as if he was hurting for Sakura because she didn't want to hurt. His face softened, but his gaze on his friend and Mistress locked. "But, Sakura. . .you're her mother."

"Yes," Sakura smiled, squeezing Syaoran's hand back. "But I'm not her only mother."

"Speaking of which," Syaoran frowned and looked down at the watch on his wrist then up to the nights sky. He sighed, and turned to Tsukiko with a small smile. "We need to get you home, Tsukiko. I'm sure your parents were expecting you early, am I correct?"

Tsukiko looked down at her own watch and gasped. She had told her parents she'd be back from Akimi's by nine, since she was originally going to be on the five-thirty plane from Hong Kong. But with having to wait for the Li couple to finish making arrangements for things to be brought to Japan and talking to everyone, it was almost half past nine.

Syaoran gave a small laugh seeing her panicked expression, and waited until Yue transformed back to his temporary form as Tsukishiro Yukito and Keroberus was the small Kero-chan again. Once they were in their disguises, Sakura turned her magic back into the cards Illusion and Shield and Syaoran called for a cab. He would have to get a car soon to go around Japan properly, but for now a taxi would have to do.

XxXxXxX

Once Kero and Tsukiko were dropped off at the Nanami household, Sakura, Syaoran, Akatsuki and Yukito drove over to the condo-building that the Iwakuras and Yukito lived in. Yukito went off into his own apartment while the remaining people made their way to Akatsuki's home. Even though the boy lived there, he knocked on the door and waited for an answer with Sakura and Syaoran standing on either side of him.

The door opened, and a woman in her mid-forties with elegant brown hair pulled tightly into a bun and still wearing a grey tweed business suit appeared in the doorway. She didn't wear a smile, and though she was pretty it was almost a fake pretty.

She frowned upon seeing Akatsuki, "So you've decided to come back, did you?" She eyed the two people standing behind him and her eyes narrowed. "And who do you think you brought back at this time of night? Did they escort you home? I'm sure these people have better things to do than bring you home."

"I am Li Syaoran," Syaoran said, biting his tongue against saying anything ruder to the woman. She seemed to recognize the name, and immediately her eyes lit up and a small smile forced itself onto her lips. "We, my wife and I, were hoping to talk to your husband and you."

"Oh," the woman said, obviously flustered for whatever reason. "You're lucky then. My husband and I got home from work not too long ago. I apologize if my son was of any nuisance to you. He knows better than to be."

Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but caught Sakura's gaze on him. She slowly shook her head, trying to stop him from going any farther. With a small sigh of annoyance, he picked up her hint and closed his mouth. The woman smiled again and opened the door more, stepping aside so the trio could step in. Once in, she closed and locked the door again, then directed them towards the livingroom where a man in his later forties sat on an expensive looking tan leather couch.

"Akatsuki-san," the woman said sharply after Syaoran introduced Sakura and him to the other Iwakura. "Go and make the Lis some tea, now. I'm sure they'd love some right now, after having to escort you home."

"Escort you home?" The other Iwakura asked with a tinge of anger in his voice. "Why would they do that? Boy, do you realize how embarrassing this is for your mother and me!?" He turned to the Lis, who had refused a seat, and smiled gruffly. "I deeply apologize for that."

Akatsuki turned to obey his adoptive mother's command for making tea, when Sakura grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. Akatsuki turned back to see a reflection of his own eyes staring intensely back at him.

"Iie," Sakura turned back to the Iwakura couple, watching the woman taking a seat beside her husband. "Akatsuki-kun is to stay here while we talk, if you don't mind."

The woman looked as though she had been slapped in the face. No one told her what to do, not even her own husband. Her back straightened and her cold grey eyes narrowed dangerously on Sakura. "Actually, I do mind, Li-san. He is _my _son, and he will do what _I_ say."

Akatsuki tried to turn around and head for the kitchen again, but Sakura, having not taken her hand off his shoulder, tightened her grasp on his shoulder and stopped him again. He turned back around and watched as Sakura eyed the other mother.

"That is what Syaoran and I have come to talk to you about," Sakura told them, trying to keep her voice calm and normal. She could already see Syaoran becoming agitated in the corner of her eye, and she knew she'd have to be the one to remain calm through this ordeal. "We would like Akatsuki-kun to come and live with us."

"I beg your pardon?" The woman gasped slightly, moving her hand over her heart in a very dramatic gesture. "I think not."

"We're not leaving this house without him," Syaoran told them forcefully, receiving a glare from the husband.

"You have no right to say such things, Li-sama," the husband stood up, anger blazing in his eyes.

"Want to bet!?" Syaoran growled angrily, his eyes narrowing on the man. He tried to take a step closer to him, but Sakura grabbed onto his hand with the hand that was holding Akatsuki in place and stopped him as well. He turned back to glare at Sakura, as if asking her why she stopped him but she simply shook her head and faced the Iwakura couple again. The wife, however, had not tried to restrain her husband at all.

"Please, everyone, we need to talk about this," Sakura tried to reason with a shaky smile. "It's really a much simpler matter than what we're all putting across."

"Oh, and how is that, Li-san?" The female Iwakura asked with a taunting tone in her voice, as if daring Sakura to continue. "There should be no reason why you both would want to take _my _son away to live with you."

"Like hell he's your son," Syaoran spat angrily, receiving an angry glare from Sakura.

Akatsuki, however, was staring at his father in awe and pride. No on, except maybe Tsukiko at the beginning of school, had stood up for him. And absolutely no one stood up against his adoptive parents, especially on his behalf. And Syaoran didn't even seem to be shaking, even though he was in the presence of the fairly well known Iwakuras. If anything, he was egging them on.

"Excuse me?" The man growled back. "What do you think give you the right to say that?"

"Because he's not." Syaoran said before Sakura could stop him. "How could he be related to twoscum bags like you two?"

"Syaoran!" Sakura scolded. In fact, Sakura was also very proud of him. He had always been the one to get straight to the point to get what he wanted. She was proud that he could be so strong, and not be afraid to face anything head-on. But at the same time, she didn't want to be this rude about getting it.

"What did you call us!?" The older man asked angrily, marching over to Syaoran, who had freed his hand from Sakura's grasp and met him halfway. They got into each others face, one just as angry as the other but for different reasons. "Do you realize who we are, sir!?"

Syaoran scoffed, "Yes, I do. And it doesn't scare me like it may others. Akatsuki doesn't want to live with you two, so why should he have to!?"

"Because he's ours!" The woman said angrily, also standing up but not moving from the couch. She kept switching her gaze from them men, to Sakura, and to her son. "We bought him from that wretched orphanage! He's ours."

Now, it was Sakura's turn to become angry, though she didn't lash out like her own husband. Though her eyes did narrow angrily on the woman and easily met her grey eyes, also not one bit shaken by the woman. "How dare you? A child isn't yours because you bought them! They're not property to be owned! They're not an item you can buy at a store!"

"He's ours!" The woman told Sakura, ignoring her other comments purposely. "He's mine!"

"Who do you think you are, anyway!?" The older man asked Syaoran, not removing his face from the powerful Li. "Barging in like this and demanding Atsushi-san!"

"You're not helping your case with not knowing his name," Syaoran growled in a whisper too low for the man to hear. He met the man's eyes with a hard blaze, and he knew Sakura was giving him a disapproving gaze since she probably already knew what he was going to say. "And to answer your question, _sir_, I'd be Akatsuki's father."

The man scoffed, not taking his gaze off of Syaoran. "Sure, the parents who left him to rot at the orphanage right?"

"That's not true!" Akatsuki spoke out before he knew what he was saying, drawing unwanted attention onto himself. "They had their reasons, and — !"

"Stay out of this, boy." The woman hissed angrily, her snake like eyes narrowing on Akatsuki. The same time, Sakura's eyes softened towards him and she reassuringly whispered to him, "Don't worry, Akatsuki-kun. Your father and I are handling this. Please don't worry yourself with it. We both know they won't listen anyways, ne?"

Reluctantly, ignoring his adoptive mother and focussing his attention only on Sakura, he nodded and backed off from the argument. Sakura smiled to him, then turned back to the woman still standing in front of her seat.

"We saved that boy from the likes of that dump!" The woman explained heroically. "Any longer there and he would have been street meat."

"And what do you call this? How do you explain how you treat him!?" Syaoran asked both of the Iwakuras angrily, not daring to look at the woman. "You call this saving him!? You honestly think that!?"

"Don't you talk to my wife like that!" The man warned Syaoran in a low growl.

"Besides," the woman began in a lighter tone, standing up straighter with a smug smile across her lips. "Why would we give him to you when this all will only make us more popular with our circle? This boy," she pointed her long, boney finger to Akatsuki, "is **the **son of Li Syaoran. Oh yes, we know who you are. You're quite popular in Asia, along with that incorporation of yours. What a story to tell, about how we saved the Li boy, son of rich Li Syaoran, from the dumps of an orphanage."

"Listen to yourself!" Sakura screamed, horrified by how the woman spoke of Akatsuki. "Acting like he's some sort of bartering item! He's a person, Iwakura-san, not an item you can put up for sale and use to expand your name!"

"Might as well have some use for him," the cold mother said, obviously trying to provoke the Li couple.

"Just you wait a moment —!" Syaoran began, but was swiftly and smartly interrupted by his wife, who was faster at thinking of a solution than him.

"Demo, Iwakura-san," Sakura began slowly and sweetly, suddenly having an idea. "Sure, that may get you both some attention with Akatsuki-kun being the Li Syaoran's son and all. . .but I'm sure there's a way where you can even more attention than merely having his son as your own."

The woman seemed reluctant to fall for Sakura's trap, but with a raised eyebrow, she took her chance. "What do you mean?"

"Well, wouldn't you both get more attention if he was returned to his rightful parents?" Sakura waited for a reaction, but both of the Iwakuras were obviously waiting for her continue, as was her son and husband, so she did. "Think about it. . .this would be doing a good deed. It'd be in all the papers, both here and in Hong Kong. Can't you see it? 'Iwakura couple generously help their adoptive son find his parents and give him to his long-lost parents'. It'd be much bigger news than only having the Li heir's son, don't you agree, Iwakura-san?"

Everyone, including Syaoran's and Akatsuki's, mouths gaped open. The innocent-looking small woman had been so sly, that it seemed both Iwakuras were actually thinking over the idea. They looked over to each other, as if asking each other what to do next. This caused Sakura to smile inwardly, happy for her seeming success.

Finally, the wife looked back at Sakura. She seemed to have settled on her answer, and her eyes lit up even more with each passing second she looked at the Li mother. "You have a point, Li-san. Though, I'd like you and Li-sama to remember we are doing this out of the goodness of our hearts."

Sakura grimaced within, though hide it with a polite smile and nodded. "Of course. Doomo arigatou gozaimasu."

"S-so," the woman smiled more, making sure she got Sakura's attention again. "Li-san. . .Li-sama, you have connections to the press, ne? Any chance that word may leak out before the morning paper is printed?"

Syaoran caught onto Sakura's act and backed off from the older man's face, a small smirk on his face as he stood by his wife again. "Oh, of course."

"Excellent." The woman smiled, sighing in content to herself.

Sakura sighed, half out of desperation to just get out of the restricting Iwakura household and half out of relief that her act worked and that Syaoran actually caught on as fast as he did. She turned to Akatsuki with a smile, seeing his own relief and surprise sketched into his own face. And if she didn't know better, she swore she even saw a small hint of tears glistening in his green eyes.

"Akatsuki-kun," Sakura began calmly, motherly. "Is there anything you need here before we leave then?"

Without a second thought about it, Akatsuki shook his head. "No, I don't want any memories of any of this."

Sakura nodded understandingly and turned to Syaoran, "Should we get going then?"

Syaoran smiled and nodded, "We should."

The family began to walk towards the door, when Sakura turned to Syaoran. Syaoran looked back down at her with all knowing eyes, understanding that look in her eyes. He smiled slightly and nodded, continuing to lead Akatsuki out the door while Sakura paused and turned around to the Iwakura couple, as they were following them towards the door.

"There's just. . .one thing," Sakura smiled innocently.

Syaoran closed the door behind him and walked with Akatsuki down the hall. Akatsuki quickly noticed that his mother's presence was missing, and looked up worriedly to his father, who wore a smirk that was slowly growing. "What is she doing?"

Syaoran looked down, mischief lurking in his eyes. Seeing his son's confused face only make his smile widen. "Nothing much. . .just making sure they can't change their minds."

As the elevator doors opened, Syaoran felt Sakura's magical aura being used. He looked down the hall towards the Iwakuras door to see the last glimpse of pink light emitting from under the crack of the door. He already knew what card she used to take away their memories of Akatsuki; Erase.

Akatsuki also noticed the intense feeling of magic being used, and looked down towards his origin; to the door he had just came out from. He also saw the last few seconds of the pink light from under the door, and wondered what his mother was doing.

Quickly after the light had disappeared, Sakura appeared from the apartment and ran down the hall as Syaoran held the elevator open so they could go downstairs together. She waited for Akatsuki to ask her about the magic she knew he felt, and was glad when he didn't. It was getting late, and explaining the cards and what she did would just be too complicated right now.

Akatsuki was quiet on the ride to the smaller Li Mansion on the other side of Tomoeda. Though Sakura and Syaoran couldn't stop talking. They began making plans about which room he'd have, and having to go shopping for new clothes and stuff for Akatsuki, and that Syaoran would need to pic him up a new school uniform in the morning before classes began. At first, Akatsuki was guilty about not taking anything from the Iwakura house, like clothes and his school uniform. But all of his school stuff was in his locker at school, except for his bag and Syaoran had already said he they could run to the store in the morning to get a new one for him before school began. Quickly, the guilty feelings disappeared and a small smile spread across Akatsuki's face.

No, he didn't want anything to remember the Iwakura house, the people in it or the orphanage. It would be better to start new. Start this new chapter in his life with nothing to look back on.

When the cab pulled up to the Li place, a cross between a large house and a small mansion, he paused at the door that Syaoran had opened for him. Sakura and Syaoran stood by the door, as if waiting for him to walk in first. Nervously, he did so. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when his parents walked in behind him, closed the door and turned on the light. It all seemed too perfect, too good for his life. But it was real. It was happening.

Sakura smiled down at her son, and slipped her hand into Syaoran's. "Welcome home, Akatsuki-kun."

And with those small words, Akatsuki let the years of built up tears shed and slide freely down his cheeks.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko arrived to school before Akatsuki the morning after they were back in Japan, and was met by an excited Akimi running towards her. She wore a large smile and ran to join Tsukiko by the gate, then pulled her into a quick, friendly hug.

"Welcome back, Tsukiko-chan!" Akimi said happily. "I didn't think you'd be back this morning. You must have gotten home late last night, so I thought you'd stay home to catch up on sleep."

"I couldn't do that even if I wanted to," Tsukiko laughed. "Remember, mom and dad think that I was staying at your place, so I couldn't really use that sort of excuse, ne? Besides, I've missed enough school."

Akimi smiled, "True."

The two waited by the front gate for Akatsuki to show, talking rapidly to each other as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks. Akimi caught Tsukiko up on the work she had missed, and pulled page after page of homework and notes from her bag for Tsukiko, while Tsukiko told Akimi all about Hong Kong, including Kai Xing, much to Akimi's amusement.

Akimi couldn't help but notice the happy glint that appeared in Tsukiko's large amber eyes as she talked about him, and the faint blush that appeared in her cheeks when Tsukiko told her about the kiss he gave her before she left.

"Do you like him then? This Wang-san person?" Akimi asked hopefully. To her, Tsukiko deserved someone like Kai Xing. He sounded perfect for her; nice, handsome, polite, sweet. So much better than her ex, Akimi thought happily.

Tsukiko nodded, the smallest of blushes flushing her cheeks. "H-hai. Wan. . . Kai Xing-kun is really nice. I like him very much. He's. . .he's a really nice guy."

Akimi sighed, watching her best friend blush slightly at the thought of the boy, and couldn't help but feel a small ting of jealousy. Not that she wasn't happy for her friend, she was quite glad that Tsukiko had found someone she liked, but at the same time, Akimi couldn't help but feel the slightest feeling of jealousy for having that. She had only been gone for a few days and found someone. And Akimi had been trying for a couple of months now to get one guy in specific to notice her.

She sighed, her lips curving into a smile to hide the awful feeling. It wouldn't be fair for her to be jealous with Tsukiko, so she quickly hid it. "Did you get his number then? Or email? Please tell me you got _something _to keep in touch with him!"

Suddenly, Tsukiko's head bolted up from looking down at her feet, he face sinking. Her eyes widened slightly as reality set into her. Slowly, she shook her head and suddenly found trouble finding her voice. "I. . .I forgot to ask, a-actually."

Akimi's eyes also widened. "What!? Tsukiko-chan, tell me you didn't — !"

"It wouldn't have worked out, anyways." Tsukiko said in a small voice, sadly looking away. The feelings of reality, **her **reality, finally began to sink in after her return home. "We lives in China, Akimi-chan. And I'm here. It's not like it could have gone anywhere. And Kai Xing-kun probably has hundreds of girls lined up for him. He won't miss m — "

"Kami-sama, Tsukiko," a deeper voice said sarcastically from behind Tsukiko. Tsukiko frowned, her hands scrunching up into tight fists as she quickly recognizing the voice. She could almost _hear _him rolling his eyes at her. The male voice continued, "Are you still talking about that Wrong boy?"

Tsukiko's brows furrowed angrily and she whipped around to face the jade eyed boy behind her. She poke him in the chest and looked up at his eyes, suddenly forgetting the situation she was just telling Akimi about and felt bitter. She poked him again, scolding him, "It's **Wang**, Akatsuki-kun! And what's so wrong with him!?"

Akatsuki rolled his eyes and looked over Tsukiko's head to see Akimi. For a moment, he swore he felt his heart stop when she met his gaze then quickly looked away. He pushed down the boyish blush wanting to make an appearance and smiled to her, "Ohayou, Hamamoto-san."

She looked up at him and nodded, careful not to meet his eyes. She forced a small smile, "Ohayou Iwakura-kun."

He didn't bother correcting her, and actually smile at it despite the turn of events although had to hide a small wince with the painful name. But, he and Tsukiko had already discussed this; even though Akatsuki was living with their actual parents now, no one — not even Akimi — could know about them being siblings or the change of Akatsuki's name. They'd leave that alone for now, and keep it hidden. "So, Hamamoto-san, what did we miss while we were gone then?"

"Akimi-chan already gave me my work," Tsukiko stuck her tongue out at him, still angry with his previous comment about Kai Xing. "But she might have yours, too — "

"Oh!" Akimi squealed, as if she suddenly remembered something and cut Tsukiko off. "I did forget to tell you something! One minute, I may know where she is!"

With that, before Akatsuki or Tsukiko could ask anything, Akimi had run off towards one of the sakura trees in the school yard and had approached a girl sitting at the base of the trunk. The two watched as Akimi spoke to the girl, and pointed towards them. The girl, after looking in the direction Akimi was pointing to, stood up and let Akimi lead her towards the gate where Akatsuki and Tsukiko stood.

The girl, Tsukiko couldn't help but think, was absolutely gorgeous. She had shoulder-length lavender hair with a cute little curl through it with bangs brushed to the left side of her face and cut on an angle. She left her bangs down, but wore her beautiful hair in a high-pony tail. Her skin was pale, almost milky. Her eyes were an amazing crystal blue colour, and weren't too light or too cold with a forever happy glint in them. She wore light make-up that complimented the pale skin and blue eyes — light blush, soft pink lip-gloss and a rose-pink with a touch of bronze-brown coloured eyeshadow.

"We had a new girl join our class yesterday," Akimi said happily, standing beside the new girl.

"Welcome to Tomoeda," Tsukiko said happily. "I'm Nanami Tsukiko and this is. . .Iwakura Akatsuki."

The girl smiled and gave a tiny bow, "I am Amamiya Koume."

XxXxXxX

Akimi sighed as she, Akatsuki and Tsukiko squeezed out of the school and made it outside. She pulled her backpack on again, as it had somewhat slipped off as the trio trudged through the swarming hallways, and tried to keep in union steps with the other two.

"Why are you two in such a hurry today?" Akimi asked when they made it off school property, looking all ways to make sure they were out of ear shot of any other students and teachers. "And neither of you have told me what you found out in China yet! You went because of a suspicion on Li-san, ne?"

Akatsuki and Tsukiko looked to each other for help, but quickly realized they were both at a loss of what to tell her. Akatsuki gave a weak smile and shrugged, as if telling Tsukiko she was on her own. She sighed, and quickly put on a smile, "Since I was away for a few days, I'm doing extra choirs for my parents today. I want to get home as soon as possible to get all the work done. As for Akatsuki-kun though," she smirked, "I don't know why he's in such a rush."

Akatsuki's eyes narrowed on Tsukiko, but quickly he wiped the annoyed look away when Akimi looked in his direction. He shrugged with a small smile and a chuckle, "My parents are out for a few hours tonight before I get home. I figured if I get home early enough, I can practice some stuff with Yue-san."

"Oh," Akimi nodded approvingly, obviously buying their lies. She missed the relieved sighs from both her friends, but still frowned. "But I still don't know if you found anything about Li-san or not while you were there! That's why you went, is it not?"

Again, Tsukiko and Akatsuki exchanged glances to one another, looking for help from each other which neither could give. This time, however, Tsukiko shrugged with a nervous smile tugging at her lips, and left it to Akatsuki to answer. He sighed, trying to think on his toes. In all honesty, he didn't want to lie to her. But he also knew he couldn't tell her everything yet, either. Nothing about their parents, or how they were related to Li Xin. But not a complete lie, either.

"W-well," he began, trying to think quickly. "We know Li isn't in China right now."

"N-nani!? You went all the way to China, and he wasn't even there?" Akimi asked almost horrified, before another thought occurred to her. Her eyes suddenly grew, "D-demo, if he isn't there. . .then where is he?"

"I'm right here."

All three teens stopped in their tracks, their blood running cold when the chilling voice reached their ears. Akimi turned around only milliseconds after the other two did, and took a step back from the line they were standing it. She looked to Tsukiko, then to Akatsuki. Akimi felt a small chill run through her; they both wore the same, chilling glare towards the tall man not twenty feet in front of them.

"Did you feel him?" Tsukiko whispered over to her brother.

"No," Akatsuki's eyes narrowed even more on the Chinese man approaching him. "Why didn't we feel him?"

"Because I am trying to hide myself from you," Xin answered, stopping halfway towards them. He waited until both their eyes were on him, and even caught the second girl's blue eyes, before continuing. "I was surprised, to say the least, to realize you two were in China and not Japan when I got here. I was really looking forward to our meeting, but it ended up being delayed."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Akatsuki growled.

Xin smirked, "But I have to say that I did not think you two would find," he looked over to Akimi and smirked even more, "_them_ this early on in the game. For me, I suppose that's good. It ruined their plans, however," he paused again, his smile slowly sinking. Anger appeared in his face, though it was almost hidden. "However, I did not expect them to follow you back here. What ever has my dear cousin told those Elders?"

"Who is he talking about?" Akimi asked, daring to take a step closer to her friends so she was in line with them again. However, Akatsuki stretched out his hand to stop her from going any farther and turned to Tsukiko. As if understanding his unspoken words, she nodded and moved forward two steps.

Akatsuki turned to Akimi and, without hesitation, grabbed her hand and began frantically looking for a spot to hide her. Try as she might, Akimi couldn't pull away. And no matter how much she protested against hiding, Akatsuki seemed to ignore her. After a few seconds of searching, he found a strong maple tree and briefly let go of her hand to preform his spell to control the earth. He quickly made steps, and pulled the reluctant girl up the steps, then set her in a branch.

"Who was he talking about, Iwakura-kun?" Akimi asked again, her eyes hardening and begging for an answer. He turned around to walk away and ignore her, but she grabbed back onto his hand and made him stop. "If you two are going to make me stay up in this tree, you can at least answer that one question."

"I. . ." he turned around, his eyes softening towards her. He gently tugged away from her grip and turned his head away, tyring not to catch her eyes again. He had to keep her safe, especially with his and Tsukiko's guard lowered since Kero had decided to stay at the school with Yukito to discuss some matters. He took a deep breath, then sighed, "I will, Hamamoto-san. I promise, just not right now."

"Demo, you and Tsukiko-chan promised — !"

"We did," he turned to face her and forced a small smile. "But I have to go help her right now, alright?"

"After then?" She asked quietly, biting her lower lip in anticipation for her answer.

Slowly, Akatsuki's smile grew a bit and he nodded. "Yeah, after."

Akimi watched as he rushed down the steps and sunk the blocks of dirt back into the earth — she realized he probably did that so she didn't try to run off and help — and ran off into the distance to help Tsukiko, who seemed to still be only talking to Li Xin. Akimi sighed, longing to rush out and help her friends. But all she could do was watch, as Akatsuki stood protectively beside, although unknown to her, his sister. Akimi watched them intensely and began humming 'her' song, her eyes resting on Akatsuki while most of the song played in her head. She smiled, realizing that the song seemed to calm her down and make things right for her.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko glanced over to see Akatsuki making steps from the ground appear and pulling Akimi up them, though the girl seemed to be protesting, then turned back to Xin. Her eyes narrowed dangerously on the smirking man. He had something up his sleeves, and she knew it. What it was, however, she had no idea. But she knew for certain it wouldn't be good.

"Does the poor girl know nothing of all this?" Xin asked slyly, attracting Tsukiko's full attention. "Is her friends keeping secrets from her?"

"Unless you know what you're talking about," Tsukiko told him darkly. "I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut."

Xin laughed slightly, seeing the sudden fire burning in her eyes. His gaze glanced over to the boy-figure running towards them, and his smirk only grew. "So my darling cousin and his wife have come back to Japan, have they?" He asked, not waiting or expecting a response. He continued straight away, watching Akatsuki stiffen. "I haven't seen Sakura in so many years. . .perhaps I should pay her a little visit, hm?"

"You stay away from her," Akatsuki growled.

Even Tsukiko was surprised by his response. Sure, Akatsuki had moved in with the Li couple and all, and she knew that he forgave them for leaving him at the orphanage because he didn't want and couldn't hate them, but she didn't think he'd be so protective of them already. In some part of her, it made her happy. He actually had a real family.

"She's a great lover," Xin said, licking his lips suggestively while looking over to Tsukiko, and smiled when he saw her eyes widen when she shivered slightly. "It's too bad she's stuck with that bastard. Xiao Lang's been keeping her hidden from me for too long, I dare say."

"We've already heard this," Akatsuki told him angrily. "And she never went to you. She never loved you, and she never could."

"And did she tell you that she could have saved you both!?" Xin yelled angrily between clenched teeth, his tone suddenly filled with rage. "All she had to do was become mine! That was all, and both of you would have been spared from all of this! But she ignored that little proposal and stayed with that damned cousin of mine."

"How dare you?" Tsukiko finally spoke up, her voice small but powerfully angry. "No one in their right mind would be able to leave the one they love for someone like you!"

Xin smirked coldly, his bangs brushing his forehead and concealing his dark eyes. "You'd be surprised."

Without warning and within seconds, Xin's sword was out and balls of fire were being hurdled towards the twins. Simultaneously, they jumped out of the way in different directions. Instantly, both were in position to push attacks on him. Akatsuki lashed out his attack first, sending back more powerful fireballs to Xin. Seconds later, Tsukiko, realizing the attack Akatsuki was using and not wanting to cancel it out, used wind to push the balls of fire to Xin faster. Yet Xin still managed to dodge these attacks, if only by a hairs breadth.

"My turn," Xin told them coldly. He grabbed another strip of paper from his pocket. It flew to his blade, and immediately lightening bolts began shooting out from the paper and flew toward both teens.

Tsukiko froze in spot, her eyes widening. She had never seen him use lightening before. . .she didn''t even know he _could _use lightening! She saw in the corner of her eye Akatsuki jump out of the way, but no matter how much her mind screamed for her to move, she couldn''t. She heard Akatsuki yell out her name, though she knew he couldn''t do anything, and distantly heard Akimi as well, but nothing seemed to work. She was glued to her spot, unable to move.

In a last attempt, giving up, she closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come. She couldn''t even move her hands let alone her arms to perform a spell. She waited, but when the pain never came and she felt a gust of new magic, she took a chance and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes quickly widened seeing the figure standing in front of her.

Tsukiko only saw the back of the girl in front of her, but it was enough. The girl, about Tsukiko''s age, was dressed in the Seijyu high uniform and had beautiful wavy lavender hair that was pushed up into a pony-tail. She was in a fighting stance, it seemed, with her legs spread apart and holding a tight grasp on a long, golden staff about the height of the mysterious girl. At the end of the golden staff, pointing towards the sky, was a half-sun half-moon object split between gold and silver, about the size of the girl''s head.

Xin growled, peering into the girl's determined blue eyes. He hadn't even sensed her magic before she had performed a charm to deflect his magic, almost like a shield around her and Tsukiko. And how dare she do such a thing? He become quickly enraged, "Who the hell do you think you are!?"

The girl ignored this at first and, not letting her gaze linger from Xin, and directed a question to Tsukiko in her soft, gentle voice, "Tsukiko-chan. . .are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Tsukiko managed to say, also partly wondering who this girl was. She seemed so familiar, but something wasn't right.

"Answer me girl," Xin growled again. "Who the hell are you and who sent you!?"

The girl stood up straight, her grasp on her staff not daring to loosen. "My name is Daidouji Koume. . .daughter of Daidouji Eriol, previously known as Hiiragizawa Eriol."

Xin's eyes rapidly widened as the man's name registered in his mind. "H-Hiiragizawa. . .as in. . ?"

The girl, Koume, smiled. "Clow Reed."

XxXxXxX

**A bit longer than usual...hence why it took so long to update :) Sorry about that. I'll try and update faster, though I make no promises. I completely take blame for the later-than-usual update. There's been some things going on and...yeah. Sorry about that. **

**And in case I haven't said it enough...thank you SO much to my awesome betas!! You girls rock!**

****

— Rai


	26. Chapter 25: Daidouji Koume

_**Chapter twenty-five: Daidouji Koume**_

Tsukiko watched in awe as the girl announced who she was, her eyes widening when she quickly recognized the last name. Xin also seemed surprised, especially when she mentioned her father's name before marriage. Xin opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. His eyes narrowed on the blue-eyed beauty in front of him, before he cursed and suddenly disappeared.

Tsukiko also heard Akatsuki curse loudly when Xin left, mumbling something about him being a scared bastard. Her gaze remained on the girl standing protectively in front of her, however, and she waited until the girl was looking at her before she spoke up.

"D-Daidouji?" Tsukiko asked. "As in. . .Tomoyo-san?"

The girl smiled, "Hai, Daidouji Tomoyo is my mother."

Akatsuki approached them, seeming to have slightly calmed down from Xin's disappearance, and frowned. He looked at Koume with confused eyes, "I thought your name was Amamiya Koume-san, though? Why did you give everyone a false name?"

"Yeah," Tsukiko nodded. "It would have been much easier if we had known you were Tomoyo-san's daughter in the first place."

The girl smiled nervously, "Amamiya was my obaa-sama's maiden name. As for not saying who I really am, well, you see — "

She was cut off by a high pitched squeal. Both Li children jumped, though Koume didn't. All three sets of eyes peered over to the owner of the squeal to find that Akimi had climbed down from her branch and was running full force towards the group. She had a large, cheerful glint in her eyes and stopped abruptly in front of Koume, forgetting that the other two were even standing there.

Akimi took Koume's hands into her own and squealed again, "Why didn't you _tell _me you were a Daidouji!? Kami-sama. . .your mother is a **genius**! A living god! Her clothes are just. . .wow!" She gave a small gasp and squeezed Koume's hands. "Does Daidouji Tomoyo-sama make all your clothes! Ohh, I bet she does!"

Koume smiled politely and gave a small giggle, turning back to Akatsuki to answer his question. She nodded to Akimi and giggled again, "_This _is why I didn't tell anyone who I really was."

Akimi immediately got the hint and gave a small gasp, turning three shades of pink before letting go of Koume's hands. She backed up a few steps and began nervously playing with her fingers, giving a small but polite bow to the youngest Daidouji. "Go-gomen nasai, Daidouji-sama. . .y-you probably don't want any of this attention."

Koume quickly shook her head and waved her hands in front of her, trying to signal Akimi to stop what she was doing. She gave a friendly smile, "Please, Akimi-chan. . .there's no need to be so polite. How you were addressing me before was perfectly fine."

Akimi slowly stood back up and smiled, giving a quick nod to Koume, who smiled in return. Then Akimi's smile fell, and she titled her head to the side as if confused, "Demo, Koume-chan. . .how did you know about Iwakura-kun and Tsukiko-chan? And. . .and you have powers as well?"

Koume smiled, "My father is a powerful magician, a reincarnation of an extremely powerful magician known as Clow Reed. I've gotten my powers from him, though I'm not nearly as powerful as him or my dear cousins."

Tsukiko and Akatsuki's eyes widened and they both shot each other a panicking stare. Koume seemed to miss this, and Akimi frowned. Her brows furrowed at Koume, "Cousins?"

"Hai," Koume smiled. "That is why I'm here and why I knew when to come. I couldn't help until Aunty Sakura and Uncle Syaoran came back, but Uncle called otou-san a few nights ago, so I offered to come to Tomoeda first. . .so I could help my cousins."

Akimi turned to Tsukiko and Akatsuki with wide eyes, "I didn't know you two were related to the Daidoujis. . .or even each other, for that fact." She paused, then frowned to Akatsuki. "But how do you know you're cousins with Tsukiko-chan when you're adopted?"

Tsukiko opened her mouth to speak, but Koume cut her off with a small, cute giggle. "What are you talking about? Tsukiko-chan and Akatsuki-kun aren't cousins! They're brother and sister, of course."

Tsukiko mentally slapped herself in the forehead when she saw her friend's reaction, and she swore she heard Akatsuki give a small groan of annoyance. Akimi looked from Akatsuki to Tsukiko, each time looking more and more angry. She scrunched up her fists by her side, shaking with fury.

"How. . .you promised!" She screamed, more so at Tsukiko. "You both promised no more secrets!"

"Oh dear," Koume said sincerely quietly, placing a hand by her mouth in surprise. "I didn't know she didn't realize. . .She didn't know. . ? Oh, I am so sorry."

"Please, Akimi-chan," Tsukiko began desperately, looking for Akatsuki for help and support. "We . . .I didn't mean for this to happen for so long. Demo, we weren't completely sure, either. S-so we went to Hong Kong on a theory that that was where our actual parents were, and — "

"But you said you were going because of Li-san!" Akimi accused. "You lied to me. And I didn't even know you were adopted, either, Tsukiko-chan!"

"I-I didn't either until a bit ago," Tsukiko admitted sadly. "Please, understand. . .we were going to tell you. Just, we only figured it all out a few days ago. . ."

Akimi's eyes slowly softened, and she sighed. She looked away, still angry and somewhat sad that so many things were still being kept from her. "I. . .I understand, but you still promised that there would be no more secrets."

"I know," Tsukiko said sadly. "I'm sorry, Akimi-chan. I am so, so sorry. I promise, we won't keep anything else from you."

"And you won't break this promise this time?" Akimi asked in a small voice. She waited for the nod and took a deep breath, "So, where are these parents then? Did you actually find them?"

"They're here, in Tomoeda," Akatsuki answered, making Akimi turn to him with wide eyes. He forced a small, nervous smile. "I'm living with them now."

Before anyone else could say anything, Koume gave a small giggle. The three of them turned to face her, to see she also wore a nervous smile. She looked from Tsukiko to Akatsuki and sighed sadly, "Well, I guess I've made a real mess of things now, haven't I?"

"No," Tsukiko smiled, looking back to Akimi. "We should have told her sooner. I just. . .we were worried. We didn't know how to tell her, or anyone, about any of this."

"So I guess we should be thanking you," Akatsuki smiled slightly. "Is there anything else you came to Tomoeda for, other than to help us?"

Koume smiled and nodded, her eyes gleaming with an answer. She held out her staff and whispered something. The staff raised a few inches away from her hand and glowed purple before shrinking into a small charm that resembled a smaller version of the staff's head. She ignored the awed looks she was getting and continued to smile as she attached the small charm to the purple, silk choker-necklace she wore.

"I do wish for something," Koume told Akatsuki. "I wish to speak to Aunty Sakura."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki opened the door and walked into the house, Tsukiko and Koume following close behind him. They had already dropped Akimi off at her house, as it was getting late.

"Tadaima!" Akatsuki called, Tsukiko echoing the friendly greeting.

Sakura's light and distinctive footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. She appeared, dressed in light jeans that were ripped on one knee and a paint-stained over sized tee that anyone could guess was Syaoran's. Speckles of different coloured paint — red, white, orange and blue — stained her hands and face, along with a streak of red paint on her left cheek and a large white hand print on the other. Her shoulder length hair was pulled back, but strands from working all day were sticking out and floating in front of her face.

"Okaeri nasai," Sakura greeted happily, relief sketched into her face. "I was beginning to get worried."

"Gomen nasai, but we had a bit of troubles on our way home today," Akatsuki explained with a small hint of bitterness in his voice.

Sakura's eyes widened as his words settled in her mind. "You can't mean, he. . ?"

"Hai," Tsukiko answered with a small nod.

"But I didn't feel. . ."

"Neither did we," Akatsuki told her with a small sigh.

Sakura sighed, happy that both of her children were safe in her home. She and Syaoran had been casting their protective spells over the house earlier during the day, and Syaoran had already informed her that he would be calling Eriol for his protection spells as well, just as before. But she had felt her children using their magic earlier, not too long ago. It had made both Sakura and Syaoran anxious, but their aura had only been strong for a few moments, so Syaoran had shrugged it off and left the house without a second thought or worry. They were probably just practising, he had told her.

Sakura's eyes finally found Koume standing a little behind the other two, and she smiled warmly to her. She didn't worry about speaking about Xin in front of her, since the conversation really hadn't given anything away. And there was something about the girl. Something different to her aura. . .

She asked in a friendly voice, "And who's your friend?"

Koume stepped forward, past Akatsuki and Tsukiko, and gave a small bow. "Daidouji Koume desu." She looked up in time to see Sakura's eyes widen and smiled to herself, "Kon'nichiwa, Aunty Sakura-san."

"Koume-chan?" Sakura asked in surprise. When the young girl's smile grew and she nodded, Sakura also smiled. "My goodness, Koume-chan! I haven't seen you since. . ." she paused, then continued without losing her smile. "You've grown so much!"

Koume smiled warmly, and Sakura quickly realized that her kind smile deeply resembled her father's very much. She felt a small stabbing paint in her chest at the memory of Eriol.. . .and Tomoyo. Of her friends. But she pushed it away, knowing it would no longer have to be that way.

Koume saw the flash of pain across Sakura's face, but she kept her smile on. "My parents have always spoken greatly of you. Especially my mother."

Sakura's smile finally began to sink as Koume's words hit her like a brick wall. Looking in Koume's soft but gentle blue eyes, she easily noticed the glint of sorrow glistening in them. It was a familiar glint Tomoyo would sometimes give her when she either knew something was bothering Sakura or if something was bothering her. . .

"Okaa-san. . ." Koume paused, her smile also sinking. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Okaa-san misses you very much."

"And I miss her. She's my best friend," Sakura paused, giving a small sigh before turning to a more confusing matter. She looked back over to the young Daidouji girl. "Koume-chan, why _are _you in Tomoeda? Where's Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun?"

"Uncle Syaoran-san called otou-san when Akatsuki-kun and Tsukiko-chan were in China, and informed him that you were returning to Japan," Koume answered with a small smile.

"Syaoran called him?" Sakura asked in a shocked tone. She hadn't known he had called. He never told her. "But. . .when?"

Koume smiled and gave a small shrug. "Otou-san told me straight away, before telling okaa-san, and I offered to come to Tomoeda ahead of them since they'll need to do some paperwork for okaa-san to work away from her office. I came to help my cousins out, of course." She looked back at the twins with a warm smile, then turned back to Sakura. "I may not be as powerful as them. . .or as powerful as my father, or you and Syaoran-san for that matter. I only have basic magic, but if I can help, I want to help. In any way I can."

Sakura smiled, and even though Koume wasn't her daughter, pride shone in her eyes for the girl. Already she could see how alike she was to her parents. She nodded understandingly, "Of course, of course. Do you have a place to stay until they move to Tomoeda as well?"

"I'm staying with obaa-sama," Koume explained, referring to Daidouji Sonomi. She looked down at her watch and giggled nervously. "And I better be going now. She doesn't know anything about this — about magic and all — and she'll be expecting me for dinner soon."

"Why don't you stay for dinner!" Sakura suggested quickly. "Syaoran will be home soon. He just stepped out for a few more buckets of paint."

"Paint?" Akatsuki asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Sakura nodded enthusiastically and smiled, "The white walls were too plain and cold for me, so we're painting!"

Koume smiled again. Sakura seemed just like the person her mother and father had explained to her, even through the years of hardship she had faced. She was still the loving, caring, friendly, cheerful person she had been told about. But sadly, she wouldn't be able to stay to meet this Li Syaoran her parents had also told her so much about.

"I can't," Koume sighed, sadly watching Sakura's smile sink a little with the news. "Obaa-sama is expecting me."

Koume said her farewells, then turned to leave. She stopped, however, when her hand was on the door handle and paused before turning back to Sakura with a sadder smile across her lips.

"My parents are moving tonight to the house my father bought, so they should be pretty well set up by tomorrow morning. And. . .and okaa-san always fancies her morning tea, so. . ."

Sakura quickly caught on and realized what Koume was getting at, and a small smile pulled at her own lips again. She nodded, "I'll call and join her for tea then tomorrow morning. I know the perfect place."

Koume grinned with a small nod of acknowledgment. "She'll be thrilled." She pulled open the door and left.

It was silent for only a few seconds, as Sakura stared at the door for a few moments with a dreamy smile across her lips. She was going to see Tomoyo again. Tomorrow. She was finally going to see her again, after nearly sixteen years. . .

"Akatsuki-kun, what do you want for dinner?" Sakura finally asked, her smile never leaving her face as she led both of her children to the large, elegant kitchen.

The kitchen immediately took Tsukiko's breath away. The room was huge; at least three times the size of her kitchen back at her own house, with beautiful dark wood cupboards and dark black, grey and brown marble for the counter tops. A counter-island sat in the centre of the kitchen, complete with a small sink for washing vegetables and a raised area for a breakfast-nook, complete with four beautiful tall stools.

Sakura tried not to laugh at her daughter's reaction, then turned back to Akatsuki. "Syaoran and I have been painting for most of the day, so I don't have anything special planned out. Is there anything you want in particular?"

"What about Wei-san?" Akatsuki asked, realizing for the first time that Wei had stayed in China when the four of them left.

Sakura smiled gently and gave a small giggle. "I rarely let him cook, anyways. I hate being a nuisance and feeling useless, so Syaoran and I usually made our meals together." She smiled at the memories. Yes, she knew she could use magic to make their meals, which would be the faster and easier choice, but what cherishable memories could be created like that? They loved making their meals together, magic free.

"Besides," Sakura continued, "we've made arrangements for your grandmother and Meiling-chan to take care of anything that may come up while Syaoran gets ready to set up Li Corp here again, in case he needs help. I've asked Wei-san to stay behind and keep Meiling-chan company."

"I'll make dinner!" Tsukiko quickly said before her mind had any time to process what she was going to say. Though, she did not regret saying it. Not even when Sakura gave her a surprised stare.

Sakura smiled warmly and shook her head. "Tsuki-chan, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner, but you don't have to cook. I'm more than capable to coo — "

"But I want to cook!" Tsukiko quickly told her, then added a bit more politely, "please?"

"I'll help her," Akatsuki offered, smiling slightly when both ladies turned to him with the same surprised stare Sakura had given to Tsukiko earlier. "I cooked all the time for myself at the Iwakuras, so I'm used to it."

Sakura opened her mouth to retaliate when she heard the front door unlock and someone step in. Immediately, she felt the person's familiar aura and called out to him that everyone was in the kitchen. Moments later, Syaoran appeared, in jeans and a paint-stained burgundy tee. He smiled when he saw both of his children standing in the kitchen, and acknowledged them with a smile before turning to Sakura with confused eyes.

"I swore I saw someone walking down the street," Syaoran frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. "She looked sort of familiar."

Sakura waited a moment, as if trying to figure out who he was talking about before giving a small gasp. Her large emerald eyes sparkled with excitement as she gave a small giggle, seeing Syaoran's frown deepen with even more confusion. "That was Koume-chan!"

Syaoran's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "_That _was Koume-chan!?"

"She's grown up, hasn't she?" Sakura giggled, watching Syaoran slowly nod. "I'll fill you in on everything later, but for now," she slid over to him and snaked her arms around him, leaning on her tiptoes and kissing him on the nose. Then she turned to the twins and gave them a small wink, "These two have offered to make dinner tonight, so I say we finish at least painting our room, ne, Syaoran?"

Syaoran looked over to the twins, who both smiled and nodded to Sakura. He looked back down to see Sakura looking up at him, a smile spread across her lips. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that the smile she was giving him was genuine, something he now knew he had truly missed all these years. He smiled back down at her and nodded, returning the nose-kiss.

They walked off, hand in hand, like young kids in love again, to the hallway where Syaoran had put the cans of paint.

Tsukiko watched them, giggling happily to herself. They were just so cute, and she couldn't help but hope that she'd have something like their relationship one day.

Akatsuki, who was also thinking about their close relationship, blushed and turned away from them. He sighed; if only _she_ could love him like that.

XxXxXxX

Syaoran dipped his paint-roller back into the pan, rolled off the excess paint and continued with painting over the plain white wall with an oriental red colour. Sakura did the same, finding her brush had gone almost dry while she had spoken.

"Are you really going to meet up with Tomoyo-san then?" Syaoran asked with concern, looking over to Sakura as she gently rolled the paint over the wall.

A small smile spread across Sakura's face. "Of course I am. Even with all these years of separation, she's still my best friend. . .and I've missed her so much, Syaoran. So much."

Syaoran sighed, and went back to his own painting job. "I know you have." He paused, glancing back over to his wife and watched her for a few seconds. His eyes become serious, "Will Hiiragizawa be there?"

"Eriol-kun?" Sakura asked, obviously somewhere between daydreaming and really paying attention to Syaoran. She stopped painting in mid-stroke and turned to face him. She was almost caught off guard from how serious his eyes had suddenly became. "I suppose so. . .maybe. Why?"

"I need to speak to him," Syaoran told her gravely. "Do you think you could get a hold of Tomoyo-san and ask him to come along? You and I've put as many spells as we can around the house to keep Xin out, but I want him to add his own around. It really helped last time, even if Xin did break through, and Hiiragizawa was telling me he came up with a new charm while we were gone, and — "

Suddenly, with no warning, paint had been splashed on the front of his shirt. Surprise was an understatement when Syaoran looked down and saw a long splash of paint running down his semi-clean shirt. He looked over to Sakura, who was trying to hold in her giggles, holding a paintbrush they had been using for the edge along the doorway and window, red paint dripping off the tip.

"What was that for!?" Syaoran asked, not really angry but more so taken back at her childish actions. She hadn't acted this way in years, and although a part of him was overjoyed that her true nature was finally coming through again, he was still nonetheless surprised.

"You need to stop being so serious all the time!" Sakura said, giving a small pout before her giggles broke loose and she began laughing uncontrollably.

Syaoran's heart leapt hearing those words leave her mouth, her laughter filling the air. A small smile crossed his face as her giggles echoed in his ears. It was like hearing it for the first time, like a small gift only an angel could give. But still, there was the small matter of paint still across his shirt. He smirked, and walked over with his roller of paint and ran it down her arm, leaving a thick line of red paint down her arm.

Her laughter suddenly stopped, and Sakura looked down at her arm to see the paint. She gave a small gasp, and her eyes darted up to Syaoran, his dark brown eyes filled with mischief as he grinned wildly.

"Syaoran!" She squealed, as he picked up the can of paint beside them and threatened to dump it on her. Giggling again, she ran away from him and turned back in time to see him slowly approaching her, the can of paint still in his hands and the mischief growing in his eyes.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko stopped chopping vegetables when she heard Sakura's small scream erupt from upstairs where she was painting. Tsukiko turned to Akatsuki, who also seemed to have heard it and had stopped mixing the batter for the okonomiyaki.

"Do you think everything's alright?" Tsukiko asked with genuine concern.

Akatsuki took a moment before answering, looking over in the direction of the hall to where the stairs were. After a bit, however, he smiled and turned back to her with a smile. "Yeah, I think they're fine."

Tsukiko didn't seem to buy it, however, and began chewing on her bottom lip. She dumped the vegetables in the batter Akatsuki had made, and watched him stir it then dump a small cup of the mixture into a frying pan with pre-heated oil in it. She watched it sizzle for a moment before looking back toward the hallway.

"I'm worried," she confessed. "Are you sure. . ?"

Akatsuki sighed and slid off his apron, then held out his hand to take Tsukiko's. Tsukiko removed hers as well, and watched him hang up both aprons. Then he began walking out of the kitchen, leaving a baffled Tsukiko behind. He stopped at the doorway and turned around, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Well?" He asked, beckoning her to join him. "Are you coming or not?"

Tsukiko smiled, and ran to catch up with him. They both walked up the stairs and followed Sakura's giggles and protests to the room at the end of the hall, and stopped in the doorway. Their eyes widened at what they saw; Sakura running around the bedroom, trying to stop Syaoran from throwing the can full of red paint at her. Tsukiko opened her mouth to say something to them, suppressing her own laughter when Sakura skidded to a halt in front of her, and ducked just in time as Syaoran splashed the paint in her direction. The paint missed Sakura, and splashed onto the front of Tsukiko's clothing.

Everyone stopped, and the laughter died as all eyes wondered over to Tsukiko, drenched in red paint. It felt like an eternity had passed before Akatsuki broke the tension and began silently giggling to himself. Tsukiko turned to him with the look of murder lurking in her eyes as his quiet giggling turned into a roaring laughter.

"You find this funny?" Tsukiko asked darkly with a twitching eyebrow. Akatsuki was laughing too hard to answer. His eyes began to water as his laughter grew and he had to bend over to stabilize himself.

Tsukiko opened her mouth so say something else, when an idea came to her. A small, evil smile tugged at her lips as she held out her arms and began to slowly approach him. "Oh, Akatsuki-kun. . .come give me a hug."

His laughter suddenly stopped and he looked up to see Tsukiko slowly walking towards him, a smirk across her face. His face paled and he shook his head, backing up into the room. "Tsukiko, no. . .I mean it. Don't you dare!"

Tsukiko seemed to ignore him and continued to follow him. "Mou, but Akatsuki-kun, I need a hug."

"Tsukiko!" He yelled at her seriously. "Don't you dare!"

She didn't listen, and lunged at him before he had a chance to get away. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, ignoring his yelling at her and how he was trying to wiggle free from her. When she felt like there was enough paint on him, she pulled away and let him stumble back a few steps. Tsukiko smiled at the results of her handiwork.

"Ne, Akatsuki-kun, I must admit," Tsukiko said with a sly smile, "red is _so _your colour."

Akatsuki's eyes narrowed on Tsukiko dangerously, then he looked down at his clothes and groaned. He was still in his school uniform, and there was red paint all along the vest, collar and white-shirt sleeves. The red paint stained his neck and a few drops had gotten onto his shoes. He looked back up to Tsukiko, who seemed to be trying to hold in her laughter.

"Red does look good, on both of you," Sakura said, also trying to stop herself from laughing. She watched as both of her children's eyes turned to her. Then added sarcastically, "Really brings out your eyes."

Sakura missed the glint in Syaoran's eyes as he silently walked back over to the pan of paint and lifted a brush sitting in the partly-dried paint. When he was back at Sakura's side, he slid the brush down her cheek, leaving a thick line of paint on her cheek.

Sakura gasped and jumped back, staring at Syaoran with surprised wide eyes for a moment before seeing the smirk on his face. Her eyes narrowed playfully on him as he shrugged it off.

"I wanted to see if red looked good on you too," Syaoran simply said, his smile constantly growing.

This battle continued for the next twenty minutes, each one throwing, flicking and brushing paint onto one another. Laughter rippled through the whole house, and after, everyone was covered from head to toe in the rich red paint. The walls were no longer an even coat of paint, but speckled numerous sizes of splashes from the paint. And still, no one seemed to care. It didn't matter to them. Their laughter continued and their game went on.

That is, until, Syaoran smelt a heavy burning scent coming from downstairs and the fire alarm went off.

The twins had forgotten that the okonomiyaki was on the stove.

XxXxXxX

Syaoran pulled up to the Nanamis driveway and put the car in neutral, then turned to Tsukiko who was sitting in the passenger seat. The sun was starting to set, and Tsukiko had stayed later at the Li household than intended so Sakura could quickly clean school uniform with one of the Sakura Cards — Erase, Tsukiko had learned — and so she could wash up before returning home.

Syaoran smiled, watching the girl hesitate about getting out of the car. "You know you can come by anytime, right?"

Tsukiko nodded, a small smile running across her lips. "I know. . .arigatou." She leaned over and gave Syaoran a quick hug before jumping out of the car and running into her house. She didn't watch Syaoran drive away. Right away, she made a beeline for the stairs to her room, but her parents had heard her come in and called her into the dining room.

Tsukiko obeyed and joined them in the dining room, somewhat confused at the scene. There was her 'mother', sitting in a table chair, her eyes swollen and red as if she had been crying, and her 'father' standing behind her 'mother', his hands rested reassuringly on the woman's shoulders.

"What's going on?" Tsukiko asked wearily.

The two adults looked up to each other before the man sighed, squeezing his wife's shoulders and looking the girl in the eye. "I'm being transferred, Tsuki-san. My work's moving me."

"What?" Tsukiko asked, something tugging dangerously at her heart. "Like to Osaka or Kyoto?"

"No, not like that," the woman spoke up, her voice cracking. "Your father's boss wants him to start working in America. They think that having a representative of the company in America will do the company good."

"What!?" Tsukiko screamed out, making both of her adoptive parents jump slightly. "They can't do this! Doesn't he know you have a family!? Why would they do this! Does this mean we'll only see you on weekends!?"

"Tsukiko-san," the man cleared his throat, his eyes clouding over with regret. "I'm not going alone. You and your mother are going with me. We're all moving to America."

XxXxXxX

**duhm...duhm...DUUUUUUUHM!! (XD sorry...couldn't help myself.)**

**See ^.^ Didn't I tell you I wouldn't take AS long to update?? I made better time this time, ne?**

**Thanks to my super AWESOME BETAS!! Lorin-chan...Nara-chan...Jay-chan...you girls so rock! Without you, this story would be filled with flaws and holes so thank you! Love ya girls!**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!! ^.^ You know how much I love them!!**

**— Rai**


	27. Chapter 26: Hello and Farewell

_**Chapter twenty-six: Hello and Farewell**_

"Stop fidgeting, Sakura," Syaoran sighed for the seventh time. He looked around the coffee shop they were sitting in, then followed Sakura's waiting gaze toward the entrance. He sighed again, and squeezed her hand under the table. His voice was softer now, less annoyed. "Sakura, hun, she'll come. Just be patient. She's never late, and it's not even nine yet. There's still loads of time."

Sakura chewed her bottom lip, her gaze leaving the door for only a brief second to loom on Syaoran before returning to her main focus. She also sighed. "I know, Syaoran." She paused, feeling him squeeze her hand again and looked back at him for another moment. She smiled softly, "I'm worrying you, aren't I?"

"No," Syaoran shook his head sincerely. "But you are making me anxious."

Sakura smiled, then her head snapped back toward the door when the small bell rang. She sighed sadly when it wasn't who she was waiting for; it was a mother with her three year old daughter. She decided to try and distract herself, and forced herself to look away from the door and back to Syaoran for more than a mere moment.

"You don't have to wait with me, Syaoran." Sakura told him softly. "I don't need to be babysat."

"You think I'm babysitting you?" Syaoran lifted an eyebrow. "Sakura, if it's one thing I know about you, it's that you can take care of yourself. I'm here to see Tomoyo-san again, and I needed to meet up with Hiiragizawa."

"We'll probably be talking about girly-things," Sakura giggled.

Syaoran also smiled and leaned in closer, "All the more reason to leave with Hiiragizawa. I don't think even he could put up with you two girls talking."

"Tsk, tsk," a voice gently chided from behind the couple. "Still underestimating me, Syaoran?"

Both Sakura and Syaoran tensed at the same time, but it was Sakura who whipped around first. Her eyes quickly landed on the two standing behind her — a man with dark hair and blue eyes, and a woman with long lavender hair and light purple eyes. Sakura jumped to her feet and threw her arms around the beautiful woman, feeling tears spring up in her eyes.

"Tomoyo-chan!" She squealed, quickly feeling the woman wrap her arms around her as well. "Tomoyo-chan! Tomoyo-chan! I've missed you so much!"

"Sakura-chan!" The woman's angelic song-voice squealed back, squeezing Sakura in an everlasting embrace. "My sister. . .my friend!"

Syaoran also stood, though not as enthusiastic as Sakura, and watched the two woman hug each other as if they were never going to let go of one another. He smiled at them, then turned his gaze to Eriol. Eriol was also smiling at them, but upon feeling Syaoran's gaze on him, turned to meet his eyes.

"Syaoran," Eriol greeted with a smile and a nod. Then he added with a smug smile, "If you two didn't come back soon, I was going to come over there. Did you know that?"

Syaoran chuckled slightly, "No, but I suppose you knew that the twins were gaining in power?"

Eriol nodded again, "They came to visit Tomoyo — that was when I felt their aura the best, though I didn't realize it was them at first. They're quite strong, huh?"

Syaoran didn't have a chance to answer, though he was sure Eriol already knew his response, before Sakura threw herself at Eriol.

"Eriol-kun! I've missed you, too!" She squealed, holding Eriol just as tightly as Tomoyo.

Eriol chuckled slightly, patting Sakura's back. "I've missed you, too, Sakura-san."

Syaoran smiled, and turned to Tomoyo. He opened his arms, and waited for her to enter them. When she did, he felt her wrap her arms around him and he returned the gesture. He sighed, and leaned in close to her ear so only she could hear him, "Thanks for understanding all these years, Tomoyo-san."

Tomoyo laughed nervously, "Don't think I'll just forgive you — or Sakura — for just running off like that, or keeping me out of the loop for so long."

Syaoran chuckled as well, "We never thought you would. Even so, thanks for understanding."

Tomoyo pulled away from Syaoran and shooed him and Eriol away so she and Sakura could talk. The two men left without another word, giving the two long lost sisters their space. The two women quickly took a seat across from each other at the table Sakura had already gotten, holding hands across the table, refusing to let one another go ever again.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko walked into class knowing how she looked — like a wreck. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and large purple rings laid under her eyes, though she had tried to hide it with make-up. She felt her friends nervous gazes as she walked to her seat, but she refused to say her usual morning greetings. Maybe if she didn't talk about it, it would go away like some bad nightmare.

Too bad nothing was that easy.

Akatsuki looked over to Akimi, as if waiting for her to tell him what was going on. But she knew as much as he did, so she merely shrugged. Koume, who sat behind Akimi, looked from Akimi to Akatsuki, expecting them to tell her. When none of them got an answer, all eyes laid on the distraught amber eyed girl.

Akatsuki made the first move — he got up from his seat and knelt in front of Tsukiko. When he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, he felt her jump slightly and stare down at him in surprise as if she hadn't seen him approach. This made him even more concerned, and he subconsciously squeezed her shoulder.

"Tsukiko, what's wrong? What happened?" He asked softly, his eyebrows scrunching together with concern.

Tsukiko didn't answer at first; she just stared down at him with a blank look on her face. She watched his eyebrows slowly scrunch up more, then turned her attention to the other two. Akimi was biting her lower lip nervously, waiting for an answer and Koume was simply watching her with concern and confusion. She looked back down to her brother, and slowly shook her head while swallowing the tears ready to make an appearance.

He frowned, "You don't want to tell me?"

The tears began to brim her eyes without Tsukiko's permission. No matter how hard she swallowed, they only grew and refused to go away. Still, she shook her head, not trusting her voice at all.

Akatsuki saw the wetness in her eyes and his frown deepened. He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door. Class didn't start for another ten minutes, so maybe. . .

"Iwakura-kun!" Akimi gasped. She turned to Koume, who was already standing, and together they ran to follow the Li siblings, ignoring the funny looks their classmates were giving them.

Akatsuki was walking in long strides, and both Akimi and Koume had to almost run to keep up with him until they were outside. He led them over to a tree, and it wasn't until then that he let go of Tsukiko's hand. Her expression was still blank, less the tears that brimmed her eyes, as she let her back lean against the tree. Her gaze lingered down toward the ground.

"Tsukiko," he begged gently. "What's going on?"

Akimi's gaze kept switching between Tsukiko and Akatsuki, also waiting for an answer. When she saw Tsukiko's body begin to shudder as she tried to retain her tears, Akimi's heart reached out for her. She looked over to Akatsuki, "Maybe we should get back to class? We're going to be late."

"Then we'll skip," he told her sternly without looking at her. His answer was solid. "I want to know why she's upset. Was it that Wrong boy? I swear to God, if he did anything to hurt you — !"

"No! He would never!" Tsukiko's head finally shot up from the ground, her eyes wide with surprise from Akatsuki's accusation. When she saw Akatsuki raise an eyebrow urging her to go on, she sighed and decided she had to speak. She looked back at the ground. "I. . .I'm moving."

XxXxXxX

"There," Eriol sighed when he was finished placing several charms around the Li household. He smiled, happy with his handiwork. "That should do. That's more than last time, including one I've been experimenting with from an old book of Clow you sent over last year. And, of course, the new spell I've been working on."

"Sakura still doesn't know about that book," Syaoran admitted. He hadn't wanted to tell her about the small amount of contact he kept with Eriol (though it was merely for future reasons such as this) in case she thought it would be safe to call and write to Tomoyo again. Syaoran would send the books or information to an abandoned factory where Eriol would pick it up on his way to work. It had worked, too, for the past ten years now. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her, for obvious reasons."

Eriol chuckled slightly, "No, of course not. Even an angel like Sakura can have a nasty temper. Alhough," he paused and looked over to Syaoran with a smile, "she does seem happy now, huh?"

Syaoran also smiled and nodded, a joyous glint growing in his amber eyes. "Yes, she is. I haven't seen her really smile or laugh for sixteen years now. I'm glad that she's her old self again. I was beginning to think I had lost that Sakura a long time ago now."

Eriol kept looking at him with admiring eyes, completely understanding what Syaoran was saying. Though Tomoyo had lost her best friend, and with that a piece of herself as well, she at least had their daughter to love and cherish. Sakura had lost everything.

Syaoran saw Eriol's eyes glaze over in deep thought and sighed; the man never did change much, did he? He playfully punched him in the arm, knocking him out of his thoughts. "You still have things that need to be unpacked at your house, correct? Come on, I'll go help you."

Eriol smiled, and nodded then followed Syaoran back to his car. He truly was glad that his friends were back, and even happier that their lives were somewhat back to normal, in the sense of their happiness with their children. He couldn't think of anything more he had wanted for the past years.

XxXxXxX

Neither Sakura nor Tomoyo cared about the looks they were getting as they laughed their heads off. Both were too caught up in their own world to care about the rest of the people in the café.

"You're kidding!" Sakura finally choked up. "What was he thinking?"

"I don't know," Tomoyo controlled her laughter and let it die off to smaller giggles so she could continue her story. "I couldn't believe he would give her her own staff when she was _three_! But he did, and he told me; 'it's perfectly safe, Tomoyo. She can't do much at this age anyway'. And then she sets the couch on fire! I could have killed him!"

Sakura giggled again, finally able to control her loud laughter. "Hmm, you'd think he'd know better than that."

"You'd think," Tomoyo admitted with a smile. "But Koume-chan is much more powerful than she gives herself credit for. Sure, she's not as powerful as you or Eriol, but even Eriol has said that she does have a healthy amount of power in her. She's stronger than she thinks. Then again, Eriol's been working with her magic since she was a toddler. . ."

"She's just like you two," Sakura commented happily, her smile reaching her eyes. "I should have known who she was before she introduced herself. That hair. . .those eyes. . .I can't believe I didn't see it!"

Tomoyo giggled again, "Well, you never were the observant one, Sakura-chan. How long did it take you to figure out that Syaoran-kun had feelings for you, and you felt returned feelings? Or when he was trying to propose to you, how many weeks did it take for you to even _think _that he had gotten a ring and was merely thinking about how to do it? Or — "

"Okay! Okay!" Sakura shook her head with another, softer giggle. "Enough blows to my ego, Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo giggled as well, then stopped and smiled. "Koume-chan has a wonderful singing voice, though."

"Does she?" Sakura asked with wide eyes. When Tomoyo nodded she squealed. "Well, I guess it's only expected, with your singing voice and all."

They spent the entire afternoon together, simply staying in the elegant coffee shop, ordering various kinds of teas, biscottis and coffees, sharing stories from over the years and catching up with each other. Tomoyo mostly talked about her models — "Of course," she once told Sakura, "none of them were you, but they had to do. Perhaps you can come back. . .oh! And of course, I'll need Akatsuki-kun and Tsukiko-chan to model for me now, too! Ohohoho!" — and her family, trying to skip the conversation about the painful years without Sakura.

And for the most part, Sakura listened. She didn't have much to fill Tomoyo in, since her life had been dark and miserable. Though Tomoyo had asked questions about Xin and what had happened, wanting answers not even Eriol could give her before, which Sakura, of course, answered.

By the time mid-afternoon came, the ladies had all but forgotten the world around them. It was only because Tomoyo had caught a glimpse of the time that she had to end their day.

She sighed, "I promised Eriol I would unpack my office things today. Him and the maids were supposed to do most of the unpacking today, but you know how much of a perfectionist I am," Tomoyo winked at Sakura. "No one, not even Eriol, is to unpack my things."

Sakura frowned, "You're leaving then?"

Tomoyo smiled, "Well, of course you can come!"

Sakura smiled again, and bounced up from her seat to follow Tomoyo to the counter so they could pay for all of their snacks. "I just need to call Syaoran and stop at the house then. Kero-chan slept in this morning, so Tsuki-chan left him a note to come back to our place. He'll want to see you again, too, Tomoyo-chan!"

"Kero-chan?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Of course! Of course! I've missed little Kero-chan too! Suppie-chan will be so glad."

Sakura pulled out her phone and called Syaoran, smiling to herself when she found out he was already at the Daidoujis' house. She told him what was going on, then parted with Tomoyo since they had both brought their own vehicles, and raced home as fast as possible.

XxXxXxX

Sakura felt the auras before she even pulled up into her driveway and frowned, confused. She glanced down at the digital clock in her car and her frown only grew. School wasn't over yet, not for another hour. At this thought, she felt panic seize her body. Did something. . .? Something had to have happened for them to be home, right . .?

She felt herself pale as she turned off the engine and ran up to the house. All she could think of was that they were all home, skipping school — did that mean Xin had gotten to them during school? She hadn't felt his aura the last time he was around, he could be using the same technique as last time.

"T-tadaima!" She called out wearily.

"Okaeri nasai," Akatsuki said quietly, sending a chilling shiver down Sakura's back. Why did only he answer?

Sakura slipped off her shoes and followed her childrens auras to the livingroom. Tsukiko was sitting in the centre of the couch, looking down at her lap. Akatsuki sat on one side of her, watching Sakura with pain filled eyes, while Akimi sat on the other side of Tsukiko, holding tightly onto her hand. Koume stood behind the couch, her eyes regretful with Kero floating sadly in the air beside her.

Sakura took a deep breath, "What's going on? Why aren't you four in school?"

Koume looked down at her friends and sighed, "I have to get going home. I presume Uncle Syaoran-san is with otou-san?" She watched Sakura nod and forced a small smile, though it was very strained and pinched with different emotions. "I shall send him here then, ne?"

"I-if you think it's necessary, then yes, please," Sakura's voice sounded thick and she knew it shook.

Koume nodded and silently left. The only acknowledgement to her parting was the small click from the door closing behind her. Sakura felt the quiet, tense minutes tick by as she waited for her answer, but it was only Akatsuki who was meeting her frightened gaze. Tsukiko refused to look away from her lap, and Akimi was paying too much attention to her worried friend to care about anything else.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Sakura finally asked, her voice a bit stronger than before, but not by much.

Akatsuki shrugged, trying to say it was not his news to give, and turned to Tsukiko. He placed a comforting hand on her lap, "You have to tell her, Tsukiko. She won't be mad at you."

"I know she won't be mad," Tsukiko mumbled, still not looking up. "It's just that. . ."

There was another long pause as she scrunched up her free hand in her lap to a tight fist. She knew Sakura wouldn't be mad at her; after all, Tsukiko had no choice in the matter. It was that she didn't want to hurt her. They had only just been reunited, and now they were to be torn apart? It wasn't right!

The pause was longer than anyone thought, because before anyone could say another word, they all heard the front door burst open then slam shut. Syaoran ran into the room, his face pinched with worry and confusion. He looked at each of their faces, either waiting for an answer or some sort of hint at what was going on. When his eyes rested on Sakura's face, he realized she knew nothing yet either. He frowned, and took a stand beside Sakura.

"Is anyone going to tell me why I was told to rush home, immediately? What's the emergency?" Syaoran asked, his lips in a tight line. He did not like the look in Koume's eyes when she had told him he had to go home, nor did he like the painful tone in her voice. Was the news really that bad?

Tsukiko sighed and finally looked up, her eyes even redder than in the morning. "I'm moving."

Sakura felt her eyes widen and her heart stop. Moving? So many questions circled her mind — When? Why? Where? Why? _Why?_

Syaoran felt Sakura tense, and slipped his hand into hers. He could feel his own anger stirring inside his body, his own questions twirling around in his mind, but he pushed them down. His gaze never left Tsukiko's face, and he could see the tears accumulating in her dark brown eyes seconds after her words left her lips.

"My father's work is transferring him to America," Tsukiko continued to explain in a quiet, monotone voice. "We're leaving next weekend."

It was only then that both Sakura and Syaoran realized how severe the situation was. They had both been on the same page before — either moving to a different town or maybe farther across town. Not across the world. _No!_

"No!" Syaoran growled, his hand tightening around Sakura's. "They can't do that! Where does he work? I'll talk to them! They can't do that! They ca — !"

"Syaoran," Sakura's voice was soft, distant. "We can't do that."

"What!?" Syaoran's furious burning eyes turned to Sakura, who seemed to be refusing to meet his gaze. "What are you saying!? Of course I can talk to them! I'll try to convince them to transfer someone else! I won't let her be taken away from me — not again!"

"Syaoran, we can't," Sakura repeated. "You're not involved with that company, and — "

"I won't lose her again, dammit!" Syaoran cursed loudly, his teeth grinding together.

Sakura sighed, and closed her eyes in exasperation. "Those are her parents, Syaoran. No matter what you think. . .those are her parents. They cared for her, loved her, raised her. . .they are her parents. And I refuse to make her choose between them and us, when they were the ones who she grew up knowing."

The room grew quiet then. Syaoran's grip on his wife's hand never loosened, but his gaze had fallen to the ground as his teeth clenched together tightly. Sakura was looking over to Tsukiko with a small smile, as if trying to reassure her that her words were true, though Tsukiko's gaze had fallen back to the ground as well.

"I'm sorry," Tsukiko finally broke the silence with her small, tremor-filled voice. "Gomen nasai. . .I-I don't want to. . ."

"We know," Sakura smiled sadly with a nod of understanding. "But I won't make you choose between them and us. I — no, **we**, understand, Tsuki-chan."

Sakura felt her own tears begin to build up in her throat, and she had to look away to stop herself from shedding them. She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. And because of this, she hadn't heard the tiny footsteps approaching her until Tsukiko was standing in front of her. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Tsukiko wrapped her arms around Sakura and held herself close to her. Without any hesitation, Sakura returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry!" Tsukiko let her tears fall freely. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Shh," Sakura hushed her gently, setting her own sorrow aside to help her daughter. She began gently caressing her hair, trying to sooth her. "Please don't be sorry."

"I love you," Tsukiko said without needing to think about it. "I love you, okaa-san. And otou-san."

Sakura felt herself tense, and her arms automatically tightened around Tsukiko. She drew in a deep breath, a small smile spreading across her lips before she let her own tears swell up enough to leak down her cheeks. Even through her sadness, even though it felt as though her life was crashing down again, Sakura couldn't help but keep smiling — Tsukiko had called her 'mother' for the first time, and Syaoran 'father'.

"And I love you, my beautiful ojou-chan," Sakura whispered back. "Forever and ever."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko dropped the last box to the ground with a loud thud. She didn't care what was inside; it could be breakables for all she cared. She didn't want to leave. The week and a half had flown by too quickly, and she didn't feel ready to leave.

"Is that the last one?" One of the moving-men asked Tsukiko with a raised eyebrow as he motioned to the box.

Tsukiko looked at him with unwilling eyes. "Yeah, this is the last box from inside."

The man grunted as he picked up the box, then walked over to the moving truck to pack it in with the rest of the things in there.

Tsukiko sighed, and walked back over to her small group of friends waiting on the sidewalk. She couldn't even force a smile to them, though she wished she could. They seemed far worse off than her, and that was saying something.

"You didn't have to come, you know," Tsukiko told them lightly.

"Of course we did," Akimi said with the faintest of smiles. "We're all going to miss you. It wouldn't be right _not _to come and say good-bye."

Tsukiko nodded, but still felt the need for them to leave. She knew she was a wreck, both physically and emotionally. They didn't need to be subjected to it. And yet, another part of her was glad that they were there with her.

"Otou-san and okaa-san wanted to come, too," Koume explained. "But I told them it probably wasn't a good idea. They're with Syaoran-san and Sakura-san right now."

Again, Tsukiko merely nodded. Her parents, her _real _parents, had wanted to come, too, but Akatsuki and herself had convinced them to stay home. Her 'parents' still didn't know that she had found Sakura and Syaoran, let alone that the Lis were her actual parents. It would have been too much right before leaving, so they had all said their farewells the day before.

Koume sighed, "Though okaa-san was much more upset than otou-san. She really wanted to make this outfit for you. . ."

"She'll probably still make it though," Akatsuki shrugged. "Eriol-san told me that once Tomoyo-san decides to make something, she did."

Koume giggled softly, her voice as soft as rose petals. "Well, that is true. Yes, she probably will."

Tsukiko couldn't really respond to this last comment. Her eyes landed on Akatsuki, who seemed to have a plastered smile on his face. She felt something tug at her heart. Out of all the things she was leaving, it hurt the most to leave him behind. Worse than leaving behind her newly found parents, worse than leaving behind her life-long best friend. Because she was leaving him with Xin, seeing as Xin could not follow her to America without leaving behind the rest of the Lis he was hunting. She had already been promised her plane would be safe from any of his attacks — Syaoran, Yelan and Eriol were all keeping an eye on the plane and had already been casting charms around the planes leaving that day.

No, she would be safe. But Akatsuki. . .The pain in her chest swelled again. She was leaving him with Xin, leaving him while neither of them had mastered the other half of their magic. Would Xin win now, now that there was one less of them? The thought worried her.

"Don't worry about me," Akatsuki sighed, making Tsukiko jump. He smiled slightly seeing her reaction. "I can take care of myself, so don't you start worrying about me now. Understand?"

Tsukiko frowned, "I'm allowed to worry about you. Don't tell me I can't."

Akatsuki opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by the loud honk of a car's horn. All four pairs of eyes turned to see Tsukiko's 'mother' standing by their car, while her husband sat in the driver's side of the car.

"Tsuki-san! We have to go!" She called out.

Tsukiko nodded, tears brimming her eyes again. She quickly blinked them away, not wanting the last memory of herself with her friend's to be of her crying. She turned back to them, and realized they were no longer smiling.

She sighed and hugged Akimi first in a tight, emotional embrace. She felt Akimi shudder once, and knew that she, too, was trying to hold in her tears. Tsukiko brought her lips close enough to her ear so only she could hear.

"Don't give up on my brother yet, ne, Akimi-chan?" She whispered softly, holding her as close as possible. "He's just a little slow."

Akimi gave a nervous laugh, "I don't know why you're bothering, Tsukiko-chan. He told me no a while ago."

Tsukiko shrugged, "Just don't, alright?"

She pulled away after giving her a quick peck on the cheek and turned to her next friend, Koume. Though they had not known each other nearly as long as Tsukiko and Akimi, Tsukiko still held her in a tight embrace. She felt Koume hold her close, too, though she showed no signs of shedding any tears like Akimi had.

"Take care of them," She simply whispered. "Especially that idiot brother of mine. If him and Akimi-chan don't get together soon. . ."

Koume giggled, "Don't worry about _that_, Tsukiko-chan. If there's one thing I know, it's how to get a relationship to blossom. And trust me, it's already there. . .they just need to open it up."

Tsukiko felt herself smile slightly, "Yes."

And finally, it was Akatsuki's turn. They opened their arms for each other at the same time, and somehow, Tsukiko felt that this one was the most emotional of all her farewells. She held him as close as possible, resting her head on his shoulder while he did the same. She was going to give him her farewell words, but he beat her to it.

"Don't worry about me, or them," he whispered softly into her ear. "I'll take care of them."

"What about you? Of course I'll worry about you." She told him sternly, holding onto him tighter.

He chuckled, "I can take care of myself. Sheesh, Tsukiko, it's not like I can't handle Li. Besides," a smirk spread across his lips. "Otou-san is going to start teaching me how to use a sword. For him, it completely controls his powers, but since I can do that without a magical device, he and Eriol-san believe that a sword will enhance my abilities."

Tsukiko rolled her eyes, "Great. . .you with something sharp. Remind me never to make you angry."

"Harty har-har," he said sarcastically. He paused for the briefest of seconds before his voice became stern again. "But seriously, don't go worrying about me, understand, onee-chan?"

Tsukiko restrained herself from giggling at his last comment. So he had finally accepted it. After an hour of arguing about their birth order one night when Tsukiko was staying for dinner at the Lis, Tsukiko — fed up with it all — walked off and asked their parents about it.

"_Who's older, Tsuki-chan?" Sakura looked at her in disbelief. She looked to Syaoran beside her, who seemed just as confused as she was. "Why does that matter?"_

"_It just does," Tsukiko answered, glaring at Akatsuki. "Aka-chan and I are just confused over who is older and who is younger."_

"_Don't call me Aka-chan!" Akatsuki screamed with a shudder — a girl's name. Ha!_

_Sakura giggled, "Well, to be honest. . .Tsuki-chan is older by. . ."_

"_Six minutes, fifteen seconds," Syaoran finished with a smile. _

_Tsukiko whipped around and to see the ashen-faced Akatsuki. She pointed at him and mockingly laughed, dancing in glee with this piece of news. "I'm older! Ha! I told you! There was no __**way**__ you are older than me, Aka-chan, my 'lil otouto-chan!"_

_Akatsuki growled, "She'll never let this go. . .Kami-sama, she'll never let this go."_

"Sure, sure," she simply said after a moment, obviously not believing his word though still trying hard not to giggle at his previous comment.

She heard him sigh before he began to pull away, but she simply held him tighter to stop him, all signs of giggling gone. She felt him stop, and brought her lips closer to his ear. She dropped her voice even lower, only wanting him to hear her. "And if you don't ask poor Akimi-chan soon, I will personally come back to Japan just to whip your butt, understand?"

She could almost hear him blushing, causing her to smile. At least she had made sure that he wasn't facing Akimi. "I mean it, Akatsuki-kun. . .you have to ask her soon."

"I-I-I already told you — "

"Just ask her, for crying out loud," Tsukiko ordered him. "It's not as big of a situation as you make it out to be."

"Th-that's not — !"

The car horn blared again, telling Tsukiko to hurry up. She sighed and pulled away, not wanting to leave any more than before. She glanced around at each of her friend's faces before running off toward the car. She climbed into the back seat and slammed the door shut with more force than needed. As they began to pull out of the driveway, she rolled down her window.

"I mean it!" She yelled out to Akatsuki, who was still slightly red in the face. "And I _will _find out!"

Akatsuki turned a deeper shade of red and was grateful that Akimi wasn't looking at him and that her attention was on the car driving away — though his blush had caught the eyes of another blue-eyed girl. She smiled, trying hard not to laugh.

They all watched with sorrowful eyes as Tsukiko drove away, gone from their lives until who knows when. Akimi sniffled as she tried to hold in her tears, and was grateful when she felt Koume wrap her reassuring arms around her. She let her new friend hold her, comfort her, as she finally let her tears fall without care down her face. Part of her was wishing that Akatsuki would walk over to her and hold her himself, or even just take her hand or pat her back. As long as it was him comforting her. Though she knew it was useless, and was grateful enough that at least someone was holding her.

Akatsuki watched Akimi cry her heart out with clenched fists. He only needed to take three or four strides to be beside her, and God knows he wanted to be the one comforting her, to hold her close and whisper in her ear that it would be alright. Be he couldn't; his body wasn't letting him move.

_Hold her hand! _He mentally screamed at himself. _Friends can do that, can't they?_

He cautiously stepped closer to her and, shaking, reached his hand out toward Akimi's. He was so close, he could practically feel the body heat from her hand emitting off onto his, when he suddenly tensed and froze.

Koume felt the air around her change with unease, and her head immediately snapped toward Akatsuki with concern. Upon seeing his stiff body and tense face, she protectively held Akimi closer — she still didn't know Xin's aura well enough to know if he was around or not.

"Douka shita no?" She asked in a hushed voice.

Akatsuki suddenly snapped out of his daze and his eyes widened with anger. "No! Dammit!"

Akimi's head pulled away from Koume's shoulder toward Akatsuki. Her tears had momentarily ceased, though tiny crystalized tears still clung to her eyelashes. "Wh-what is it?"

Akatsuki's heart broke when he saw Akimi's face, with trail of dried-tears staining her cheeks and her now red eyes. With her like that, he couldn't tell her anything. So he simply turned to Koume and growled, "Stay here, and keep her safe."

He didn't wait for an answer, knowing that Koume would understand, and took off down the street running as fast as he could.

_Dammit, Tsukiko! You better be alright! _He growled inwardly. _Please realize it! Please be alright! Dammit!!_

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko stared out the back window until they turned the corner and she could no longer see her friends. She swore she saw Akimi begin to cry as she pulled away, and hoped that Koume — or even better, Akatsuki — would at least comfort her in some way. She sighed and turned around so she was sitting in her seat properly.

"Don't worry," her father promised suddenly, repeating his words from the past week. "You'll make new friends, Tsuki-san. And America is great! Good schools. . . Lots of malls. . .You'll love it, I'm sure."

Tsukiko merely answered with a sigh and turned her attention to the window. She leaned her head against the cool glass and closed her eyes, trying not to feel angry with her 'parents'. It wasn't like it was their fault, she knew that it wasn't, but she was still angry. Couldn't her father have refused the transfer? Or maybe her and her mother could have stayed in Japan, and he could get a week off every month to come back?

She sighed again. No, because this was a great honour. Or so she had been told, at least.

"Cheer up, Tsuki-san," her mother continued, glancing back nervously at Tsukiko. The car gave a small lurch as it came to a sudden red light. "It's not like you'll never come back here, ne? We'll come back during the summer, and perhaps the winter break as well."

Tsukiko opened her eyes slightly to see her mother's worried gaze on her. She forced a small smile and nodded. When her mother seemed satisfied, she turned back around and Tsukiko closed her eyes again. She heard her father mumble something about the light being slow, but she didn't care.

No, it wasn't like she would never come back to Japan. She knew that. She was determined to come back to visit as much as possible. There was still so much to learn about her magic, and now she had no one to teach her. She had forced Sakura into letting Kero stay with the Lis instead of her, because she knew that was where Kero belonged — with his mistress. Not half way around the world. So now she was on her own for learning more about her magic.

That was when she felt it. The sudden throbbing and stinging on her breast, her warning of danger — more intense than ever before. Her eyes flew open as panic seized her entire body. She bolted up into a sitting position and watched in horror as the red light turned green.

"Finally," her father sighed as his foot stepped off the break pedal and moved onto the gas. "That felt like forever."

The car began to crawl forward.

"NO!" Tsukiko screamed, grabbing onto the back of her mother's seat. "Don't — !"

It all happened so fast, Tsukiko had no time to react. She felt the use of magic being used, and yet could do nothing. A car was hurdled into theirs, hitting it with full force. She heard her mother's screams, saw the blood searing down her father's face right after it smashed against the window as the car swirled around the street and came to a violent stop, crashing into the traffic light pole. Her mother's screaming ceased, and seconds later she felt the searing heat of the flames that were engulfing the car.

Tsukiko felt herself begin to waver, her mind flashing in and out of consciousness. Dizzy, she moved her hand to her head. When she pulled it away, a red, warm substance was sticking onto her fingers. She groaned in pain, and began looking for an escape. The flames didn't feel natural, that was for sure. A million times hotter, if possible, with dark magic cast into them.

Panicking too much to think of using her own magic, she began pounding her fist on the window, screaming for help. She didn't want to die. She _couldn't _die. Not now. . .Not yet. The mixture of her screaming and the thick smoke clogging her throat left a burning in her throat, and yet she didn't give up.

Suddenly, large emerald eyes and a familiar face appeared in her window. He seemed angry and frantic, panic obvious in his eyes. She screamed his name, her eyes burning from the ash around her. He tried to open the door, and Tsukiko read a curse word pass his lips. He disappeared, and when he returned, he held a large rock. He motioned for her to move back, and she did, then he threw the rock through the window. Without any hesitation, he began peeling away the glass with his bare hands, making enough room for Tsukiko to escape.

"Tsukiko!" Akatsuki screamed, reaching inside for her. He grabbed for her hand to pull her closer, then pulled her out with difficulty, as she was almost completely limp. He knew she would have cuts from the glass, as he already had on his hand, but he only thought of getting her out. And when she was, he gathered her in his arms and moved her far enough from the burning car so she was no longer endangered. He could hear the loud sirens screaming down the street, and held her close until they could get to them.

"A-Akatsuki-kun. . .I-I. . ." her throat still burned from the result of screaming and inhailing smoke, and her eyes burned from the ash inside the car, but she could still see him. And although worry was sketched into his face, she knew her's was the look of relief.

"Shh," he hushed, pulling her shaking body closer to his chest. He didn't want her to go into shock before the paramedics got to the scene. "You're safe. You're fine."

"My. . .my parents. . ." she choked on the words, and tried to look back at the burning car. The blood on her father. . .Her mother's final screams. . .Had it really only been seconds ago?

"Shh," he said again, stroking her hair.

"I shouldn't be alive," Tsukiko felt the tears begin to drip down her cheek. "I hurt. . .I should have died with them. I left them. . .I couldn't help them."

"No," Akatsuki growled. "Don't you dare give up, Tsukiko. You hear me? Don't you dare! No giving up."

"I'm so tired. . ."

"Then sleep," he told her more gently this time, his voice soothing. He cradled her in his arms, closing his eyes and simply savouring the fact that she was alive. "Sleep, but don't give up. You're alright, you're safe. It's alright."

Tsukiko obeyed with no hesitation and let her eyelids droop close. She could hear the frantic screaming of people around them, panicking about the fire and the passengers, but their voices began to fade. Through the fog, she could make out the sirens stopping near her, and felt Akatsuki lay her down then take her cold hand into his warm grasp.

As she began to slip into the world of unconscious, she remembered realizing one thing. The prickling in her chest was gone, **he** was gone. As was part of her heart.

XxXxXxX

**I am so so so so so so so SO sorry, mina sama! I know I haven't updated in forever. There's been some technically difficulties with this chapter, so if there are any grammar or spelling errors, I deeply apologize. But, on the plus side, a lot of things happened in this chapter :D**

**Hopefully, (and I know I said this the last time but I'll try and keep my word this time) I can update quicker from now on. I have the next few chapters done, thankfully, and am just waiting for them to be returned to me. **

**And I know it's late, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year anyway!!!**

**~Raina**


	28. Chapter 27: Waking

_**Chapter twenty-seven: Waking**_

The emerald-eyed young woman felt fright crawl up her spine, sending a shiver through her entire body. She watched her husband in horror as his smirk and triumphant laughter grew. She was scared of him, she was truly scared of him.

"Sh-she's. . ._dead_?" The young woman choked on the last word, tears brimming her eyes. She had never set eyes on the young girl her husband often vented about, but she did not want this to happen. She never would have dreamed that he would do this, even if he had said he would. When he didn't answer her, she shivered again and swallowed her tears. "X-Xin, th-the girl. . .Y-y-you killed her?"

His laughter stopped, but the large smirk on his face remained. It was cold, lifeless. "Technically, the car killed her. I only added the flames. You should have seen her brother's face as he ran down the street! If it wasn't that he had to save her — useless attempt, might I add — then I'm sure he would have tried to take me on right there. Ah, but he still has so much to learn. He may be the threat for the Li name, but it was the girl who was more powerful. It's too bad I couldn't have stayed to see his face as he watched his sister burn."

The woman shuddered and felt her whole body go numb. When had her husband become such a monster? What had happened to the man she had fell in love with? Could he really have changed in a such a short span of a year?

She shuddered again — no, this wasn't the man she had fallen for. This was truly and obviously a monster, keeping her Xin locked up deep inside.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko felt a thick groan leave her lips as her dulled amber eyes fluttered open. She hurt, that was for sure, especially her head and left hand. And her throat — she groaned again — felt as though it was on fire.

She was confused, at first, as her eyes slowly focused on her surroundings. It was dark, with the only sound a low beeping coming from beside her. All she could smell was sanitizer and cleaning chemicals. She lifted her good hand up to her head and felt a bandage wrapped around it. Her other hand, which was throbbing, lay cozily inside some sort of brace. She felt along her face to find a tube wrapped around her face, leading to her nose, providing her with oxygen.

She sighed — _Hospital_.

Her eyes fully adjusted to the darkness, and she began to look around more. She wasn't alone, she quickly realized, and was grateful for that. Four people were in the room with her — Sakura, Syaoran, Akatsuki and Akimi. She also realized she had a private room in the hospital, another things for which she was grateful for.

Sakura and Syaoran slept on a small, hard looking couch — Syaoran sitting in the corner with Sakura resting protectively in his arms. He was holding her close, his grip never loosening, while Sakura laid completely on the couch, her arm draped over Syaoran's chest. Though the sight was warming, both of their faces seemed restless with lines of worry.

A small smile spread across Tsukiko's lips when she saw Akatsuki and Akimi, even though the motion hurt. They were sitting side by side on two separate chairs, and Akatsuki had his arm draped across Akimi's shoulders, holding her close. A blanket wrapped around Akimi, and it seemed as though Akatsuki was making sure it stayed on her. Her head rested on his shoulder, a peaceful expression on her face, as his head rested on hers.

Tsukiko sighed — how could he possibly deny his feelings? Or possibly think that her feelings toward him had changed? _Idiot._

She tried to close her eyes to sleep; God knows she was tired. But she was restless with images from the accident. The blood running down her father's head. . .Her mother's screams. . .And Akatsuki yelling at her, trying to get her out of the burning car.

She groaned. The images were so vivid, so real. They replayed in her mind like she was living them again. And it hurt.

"_My. . .my parents. . ." _She had choked the words, her throat still burning. Heck, even now she could feel the searing pain burning down her throat as if the ashes were still being inhaled.

"_Shh," he said again, stroking her hair. _

"_I shouldn't be alive," _God, and she still believed it. She was supposed to have died in that fire._ "I hurt. . .I should have died with them. I left them. . .I couldn't help them."_

"_No," Akatsuki growled. "Don't you dare give up, Tsukiko. You hear me? Don't you dare! No giving up."_

"_I'm so tired. . ."_

Tsukiko shook her head lightly, trying not to inflict more pain on herself, and closed her eyes. Slowly, restlessly, she drifted back to the dreaming world. Where no one could hurt her, no one could reveal the truth to her.

The truth that her parents were dead.

XxXxXxX

"I will _not_!" Akimi's loud protesting echoed in Tsukiko's waking ears.

"It's no use being here, Hamamoto-san," Akatsuki's voice was the next to be heard. "You've already missed yesterday's classes, and she's still not awake. There's no point in both of us missing school."

"Koume-chan will get our notes!" Akimi pointed out stubbornly. "I'm staying here with you and Tsukiko-chan until she wakes up!"

Tsukiko opened her eyes cautiously and gave a quick glance around. It was sometime in the day, as the room was no longer pitch black, and she was alone in the room. The voices were coming from the hallway.

"No." Akatsuki said sternly. "You go to school. If she isn't up by the afternoon, I'll be coming in as well. But I'll drag you if I have to, Hamamoto-san, trust me. So go now."

There was a moments silence, and Tsukiko found herself listening more carefully now. Akatsuki's voice had been stern and final, and she could almost picture him standing there, his hard gaze on Akimi with his arms cross tightly across his chest.

". . .Fine," Akimi finally said, a bitter edge in her voice. "But I will come back after school."

Her angry footsteps walked off down the hall, and Tsukiko listened until the sound was too soft to hear. A few moments later, there was a soft sigh and Akatsuki walked back into the room, raking his fingers through his unruly hair.

Her eyes followed him, and he lowering himself to sit in a chair before he realized that her eyes were open. His own eyes widened with relief and he jumped from his spot to be by her side in a heartbeat. He knelt beside her, his gaze locked in hers.

"When did you wake up?" He asked softly. "Do you hurt? Should I call a doctor?"

"I woke up a minute ago, and no, I'm fine." She answered without a smile. He must have realized this, because he frowned too and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. She beat him to the punch. "Why were you and Akimi-chan arguing?"

"Oh, you heard that?" He asked, shocked. When she nodded, he blushed slightly. "She stayed here yesterday while you were. . .out. I convinced Daidouji-san to leave when her parents did yesterday afternoon, but Hamamoto-san refused to go. She should be at school, but she didn't agree."

"What a silly thing to fight over," Tsukiko sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "And you're still going to tell me she has no feelings for you? That you don't want to tell her you like her?"

Akatsuki felt himself straighten up and his face burned crimson. Tsukiko giggled, making him glow with the childish blush. "I. . .we. . .d-don't you ever give up!?"

"Not after what I saw last night," Tsukiko smiled. "You two are so cute togther. She fits just perfectly in your arms, ne?"

"I. . .No! Sh-she was cold, a-a-nd upset. I was just. . .just being a friend!" He said too quickly.

"Sure, sure," Tsukiko said smugly. "If you say s. . ." her sentence trailed off as she gave a small groan. She had forgotten that her hand was in a brace and tried to wave it in front of Akatsuki's face.

Akatsuki's face crumpled in concern. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"It's just my hand," Tsukiko explained. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Sorry about that," Akatsuki said quietly. "When I reached inside the car for you, I grabbed your hand to pull you closer to the window. The doctor said it's severely sprained, maybe a hairline fracture though nothing came up on the x-rays."

"Yikes," Tsukiko grimaced. "How long was I sleeping for, anyway?"

Akatsuki smiled nervously, "Today was day three." He paused, watching her frown deepen, and waited for a different response. Her face was blank, minus the frown across her lips, confusing Akatsuki. She didn't seem very upset or confused, just dazed. Akatsuki frowned as well and his eyebrows hitched closer together. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

Akatsuki didn't buy it. There was a small tremor in her voice that he knew she didn't want there. "I mean it, Tsukiko — how are you holding up? You alright?"

"I'm fine," She told him more sternly this time. "Really. . .I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Akatsuki told her softly. He reached out for her hand and slipped his into hers, holding a reassuring grasp onto her. He briefly saw her eyes brim with tears before tearing her gaze away from him and looked away. He squeezed her hand. "Otou-san has already began arranging the funer — "

"Don't finish that sentence, please," Tsukiko begged. "Please. . ."

"Tsukiko," her frowned. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"No!" She said through clenched teeth. "Just leave it alone."

"Talk to me," he pressed on. "Anyone would have panicked. I didn't even think about using my magic. You just felt his presence too late. No one's blaming you. It's not your fa — "

"Don't," she repeated herself. "Don't you dare say it's not my fault."

"Tsukiko — "

"No!" She screamed, turning her face toward him. Tears streamed down her face, a mixture of guilt and anguish on her face. "It's my fault they're gone! I didn't help them! I felt his damn aura too late and didn't act on it fast enough! It's all my fault, dammit! I killed them!"

Akatsuki stood up and sat on her bed. He wrapped her arms around her and crushed her body into his, holding her close while soothing her back lightly with his fingertips. She threw her arms back around him and dug her head into his shoulder. Her sobs became more heavy and quickly left a stain on his shirt.

"Shh," he gently told her. "Don't say such things. Don't."

"B-but it's t-t-true!" She wailed. "I could have saved them, and I didn't!"

Akatsuki sighed and pulled her closer, trying to change her mind though she refused to listen to him. She bunched the back of his shirt in her fists, trying to inflict enough pain in her hand to stop herself from thinking about their final moments — the blood, the screams, and their sudden silence. Dead silence.

"A-and now I have no wh-where to go," she continued, biting her lower lip. Her hand burned and her body was screaming at her to let go of his shirt, to stop hurting herself, but she couldn't. The physical pain somehow dulled the other pain.

Akatsuki opened his mouth to say something when a voice from behind him stopped him.

"Of course you have a place to go to," a gentle but husky and deep voice said from behind them. "We would never let you go anywhere else."

Tsukiko opened her eyes to see Sakura and Syaoran standing in the doorway. As soon as she saw them, she felt her heart almost stop — she had lost her 'parents', but didn't she still have them? There would be no more deciding between them. There would be no more guilt about going with one instead of the other. But somehow, that still didn't help. It still hurt, perhaps worse now.

Sakura left Syaoran's side and sat on the opposite side from Akatsuki. As soon as she sat, Akatsuki let go of Tsukiko and let Sakura take her, which Sakura did without a second thought. She gently wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her, caressing her soft hair with one hand while holding her close with the other.

"I am so sorry," Sakura whispered sincerely into Tsukiko's ear. "I wish I could have stopped him. I wish I could reverse time so you didn't have to hurt."

"I-it's not your fault," Tsukiko told her between her cries.

"Nor is it yours," Akatsuki said gruffly, feeling his father's hand rest on his shoulder to stop an argument from erupting.

Tsukiko gently pulled away from Sakura, though her mother's arms didn't let go completely and remained on Tsukiko's back and arm. She used the back of her hand to wipe her remaining tears and gazed over to Sakura with worried eyes.

"But. . .but I can live with you and otou-san now, n-ne?" Tsukiko asked in a small, timid voice.

Sakura smiled softly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tsukiko forced a small smile before letting her emotions take over her again. Before her tears had a chance to leave her body, Sakura pulled her back toward her. Tsukiko rested her head on her mother's shoulder, crying softer than before but nonetheless crying.

XxXxXxX

Exactly one week later, Tsukiko returned to school. After having to stay in the hospital for an additional two days after she had woken up, there was still a need to stay home for another two days for the viewing and funeral, and then a few days to move into the Li household. All of them, her parents, brother and her, had decided against changing Tsukiko and Akatsuki's last names just yet. For one, no one but Akimi and the Daidoujis knew of Akatsuki moving away from the Iwakura's and as for Tsukiko, it was presumed that she moved in with a nearby aunt.

And though it was only her first day back to school, Tsukiko had found herself woken early by loud clashes from the garden. She hadn't wanted to wake, but did anyway to find Akatsuki and their father out in the yard, practising swords fighting. She had been happy, realizing that Akatsuki had been right — it seemed as though his magic was enhanced with the sword. It was a Li sword, one their father had gotten shipped over named 'Xù', or rising sun in Chinese. One had been sent for Tsukiko as well, named 'Lóng', or rising moon. Though she was told she couldn't start her practising until the following week, when her arm would surely be healed, Tsukiko had still stayed up to watch her brother practice. He seemed so happy, using the sword's blade to boost his powers. And Syaoran seemed just as happy, if not happier, to be teaching him — proud, even.

She touched the small necklace around her neck, feeling the small thumb-sized full moon pendant carefully, and sighed. She wasn't even allowed to activate her sword yet.

At school, no one questioned Tsukiko or bothered her about her parents' sudden death. Perhaps it was because Akatsuki refused to leave her side, and had an intimidating pair of cold eyes whenever people looked in Tsukiko's direction.

Tsukiko had almost laughed when earlier a girl in her class, who was dating someone Akatsuki had glared down at earlier, came up to Tsukiko nervously and asked if Iwakura-kun and her were dating or something. She had simply laughed it off – after making sure Akimi hadn't been around to hear. Even though she knew the two were related, she still seemed jealous of their relationship and closeness. – and told the girl that no, they weren't going out, and that it was only because Akatsuki was extremely over-protective of his friends. Hey, it wasn't a lie. After that, however, Tsukiko seemed to get a few more stares from the girls.

_Hypocrites, _Tsukiko thought as she and her friends wandered the halls during lunch. _Only a bit ago they were steering clear of Akatsuki-kun and shunning him. And now suddenly they're jealous? Get real!_

"How's your arm?" Akimi asked sincerely, bringing Tsukiko out of her thoughts. She looked down at the brace still wrapped around Tsukiko's wrist and frowned.

Tsukiko smiled and waved it to show her it was fine. "It doesn't hurt anymore, but the doctor wants me to keep it in the brace for another day or two. Precaution, that's all."

"If you keep moving it, you'll hurt it again," Akatsuki growled.

Tsukiko rolled her eyes, making Koume and Akimi giggle and Akatsuki growl slightly again, though with less of an edge in his tone this time. The group passed by a window and Tsukiko stopped when something caught her eyes; a group of girls in a tight circle around something she couldn't see. The others saw her stop, and did the same to see what she was looking at.

"What's going on?" Koume asked.

"Beats me," Akatsuki mumbled. "Maybe some movie star is in town. Seems like it's only girls down there, right?"

Tsukiko frowned and looked down the hall in time to see a girl from her math class running down the hall, holding her cell phone close to her ear. Tsukiko stepped away from her friends and the window to stop the girl, waving her down, though the girl seemed almost reluctant to stop.

"Kato-chan," Tsukiko began, pointing out the window. The girl paused in mid step, obviously not wanting to stop to begin with, and pulled her phone away from her ear. "What's going on in the parking lot? Do you know?"

"Oh!" The girl, Kato Magumi smiled with a faint blush on her cheeks. "There's a new boy coming to the school tomorrow. He's visiting today to get his schedule. Word is that he's _very _cute!"

Tsukiko didn't have time to answer before someone from Magumi's phone yelled at her and the girl was running down the hall again, obviously going to go down to join the crowd of girls. Tsukiko turned to her friends and shrugged, then giggled at Akatsuki's face.

He didn't seem angry, but his face was obviously upset. His nostrils flared, "_That_'s what all this fuss is about? Kami-sama."

Koume giggled, "Well, shall we see if this rumour is true?"

Tsukiko giggled as well and nodded. She wanted to act normal and not dwell on what had happened a week before. She had cried for days over her parents deaths, but now — even though it still hurt like hell — she wanted, or more so, _had_ to move on and get her life back on track. There was too much things going on; magic, Xin, splitting her powers. . .There was too much for her to stay in her own depressed little world.

They turned to leave, leaving Akatsuki behind by the window, Koume and Tsukiko giggling over what they thought he would look like. Sure, it seemed low and shallow, but they're teenage girls. . .Of course they're going to drool over cute guys. They were only a few paces away from Akatsuki when Tsukiko realized Akimi had paused and was looking back at him with a longing look in her eyes as she chewed her bottom lip.

Tsukiko smiled and nudged Koume, then winked. Koume smiled, stars in her eyes as she caught on, and muffled a giggle with her hands over her mouth. Tsukiko strolled back over beside Akimi and casually wrapped her arms around her, looking over to Akatsuki — who wasn't meeting anyone's gaze — while she spoke. "Akimi-chan aren't you coming?"

Akimi blushed, her heart picking up pace. "I. . .um. . .y-yeah, of course I am."

"Excellent!" Tsukiko beamed, turning her around to walk away. She stopped beside Koume again, and let her arm slip off of Akimi's shoulder then turned back to Akatsuki with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Unless, someone wants differently. . ." She stressed the word 'someone'.

Akatsuki turned bright red, but didn't respond, making Tsukiko press her lips into a tight line. She growled too low for anyone to hear and turned back to Koume with angry eyes. "Koume-chan, why don't you and Akimi-chan go down and I'll be right there. I forgot that Akatsuki-kun and I promised to check in with Kero-chan and Kinomoto-sensei during lunch."

"Of course," Koume smiled, easily catching on. She turned to Akimi with a bright smile and together they began to walk down the hall.

Tsukiko waited until they had turned down the stairwell and were out of sight before she spun her heels to face Akatsuki again. Her lips were pursed furiously, her eyes blazing, as she tightly crossed her arms across her chest.

"You baka!" She scowled. "I just gave you a chance! Didn't you see the look she gave you!?" When he didn't respond or even look up at her, she cursed lightly under her breath. Surprised, Akatsuki shot a glance at her with wide eyes — Tsukiko did not swear.

"Fine," Tsukiko said angrily toward Akatsuki, noticing the wince he gave her because of her icy tone. "If this new guy wants her and asks her out, and she says yes. . .it's not _my _fault. _I _won't stop her."

She turned around and began angrily walking away, mumbling profanities about her brother under her breath. Her fists clenched and shook by her side, and she was halfway down the hall before Akatsuki finally said something.

"Y. . .you think he'll ask her?" His voice was quiet with a small tremor.

Tsukiko paused, but didn't turn around to face him. "She's a beautiful and smart girl, Akatsuki-kun. I'd say that's a very good possibility."

She didn't regret her words, even though they were cold. She wanted him to get the message that Akimi couldn't wait for him forever. It wasn't right. What was so difficult about admitting one's emotions? God, it confused her.

Tsukiko quickly found her two friends when she reached the large group of girls in the parking lot. She frowned; they were too far in the back to see anything up front. She couldn't even see the boy's head over the vast amount of girls in front of them.

"Well," Koume sighed. "We tried, ne? We'll probably see him tomorrow."

Tsukiko ignored her and stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over the sea of teenage girls. It was still useless. She crossed her arms and pouted childishly, "No, I want to see him!"

Akimi frowned, sensing Tsukiko's odd mood. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing," Tsukiko said. She knew she was being short, but she was really ticked with Akatsuki. How could he be so stupid? "I'm getting a closer look."

Before Akimi or Koume could protest, Tsukiko was pushing her way through the crowd of girls. She didn't care how rude she was being, shoving them all out of her way, and ignored all the rude comments she was getting. She couldn't hear Koume or Akimi, and had presumed that they had gone back inside with Akatsuki. She could just see the opening over the girls heads, and she swore she could just make out the tall boy's charcoal hair standing in the open. She was three girls away before seeing who it was when someone, obviously angry with the rude girl pushing her way through, held out her foot and tripped Tsukiko.

Tsukiko lost her footing easily and fell into the clearing, hundreds of eyes on her as she tripped into the wide-opening. She felt herself begin to fall toward the ground when something suddenly stopped her — something warm and soft. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had crashed into someone's chest, and a moment later to realize that their arms were wrapped tightly, protectively around her. A burning blush ran across her face as the girls watching her let out loud gasps.

Tsukiko pulled away quickly, not looking up at her saviour so that he wouldn't see her blush, and gave a low, apologetic bow. "Gomen nasai! I am so, so sorry!"

There was no immediate answer, and Tsukiko felt her heart beating twice it's regular pace. What if she had offended him, the new kid? God, that's all she needed; someone with a grudge against her.

But then, suddenly, his soft voice spoke. He sounded surprised, his voice gentle and calming. "Tsukiko?"

Tsukiko felt her eyes widen and her heart stop beating. She knew that voice. She knew the softness and gentleness of that voice. Slowly, not believing it, she looked up. Her eyes widened as soon as she gazed into the boy's bright violet eyes. She could see the shock in his own eyes, and was sure she looked the same.

Without thinking, without caring that hundreds of eyes were on them, Tsukiko smiled and threw her arms around him. She heard the gasps, and giggled with delight as she felt him wrap his arms around her and hold her close.

"Wang-kun!" She squealed.

She heard the whispers around them begin, but she didn't care. All negative thoughts she had felt only moments ago dissolved as Kai Xing held her in his arms. She couldn't care less what they were saying or thinking about them. He was here, with her. That's all that mattered. That's all that made her happy.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head, taking in all her scents. He lowered his mouth to her ear, and smiled when he felt her shudder. "I thought we agreed to lose the formalities?"

Tsukiko blushed, feeling his breath against her ear and felt a tingle run down her spine. She smiled, and pulled away from him enough to see him, though not enough so she wasn't in his arms. She giggled, "Oops, sorry."

He also smiled, then leaned down and kissed her nose. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"_You_'re surprised?" Tsukiko asked mockingly with a raised eyebrow. "I live here! What are you doing here!?"

He smiled at her, unable to believe his good luck. And here he thought his chances of running into her were a million to one. "I decided to come with my father on his business trip this time. He's staying for about three months this time, so I figured it was a good opportunity to come and work on my Japanese. And since I'll be attending this school, I figured it was a good idea to visit before I officially begin attending and pick up my schedule."

"I-I can show you around. . ." Tsukiko blushed, a smile across her lips. But slowly, playfully, she frowned, "But it's really not like you need to really work on your Japanese."

He chuckled and shook his head, "No, but I couldn't stand being in Hong Kong anymore. I mean, I love the city and everything. . .I grew up there, after all. But it was just too. . ." he scrunched up his nose, looking for the right word. "Stuffy."

Tsukiko smiled again and leaned her head on his chest, holding herself closer to him. "But the fact that your father is in Tomoeda out of all places. It's just. . .wow!"

"I know," he sighed, his smile not able to disappear from his lips. "This town is so small. . .the odds that you live here. . ."

_There is no such thing as coincidence,_ Tsukiko remembered her own words, _Everything happens for a reason. _

She smiled, remembering something important he had promised her when she had left China nearly a month before. She smiled up at him, nothing but happiness shining in her eyes. "So, fate played its role. . .what was your last question?"

Kai Xing seemed confused at first, but he quickly realized what she meant. He laughed and bent down to kiss her nose again, remembering their game of 'Twenty Questions'. "Later, I promise."

Tsukiko pouted — earning another laugh from Kai Xing — before she slipped her hand into his and began leading him out of the group of girls still surrounding them and toward the school. She smiled, a faint blush running across her cheeks, when he pulled his hand away from hers and wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close instead. She rested her head on his chest, letting her heart beat a mile a minute and greedily inhaling his soft scent of fresh rain.

Right then, nothing could break her bliss. Not even the cold glare Akatsuki gave Kai Xing when she walked him into the school and introduced him to Koume and Akimi (both of whom loved him right away, of course). She was happy, truly happy, for the first time in three weeks. She felt on top of the world, thinking. . .hoping. . .that fate and good fortune was finally playing for her instead of Xin.

XxXxXxX

Okay, minna, U_U I'm sorry. I'm having some problems with editing and such things, and I am terribly sorry for the extremely late update. I, of course, take full fault in these difficulties with editing. I also apologize if there are any typo's or such, as it goes back to these difficulties.

If no one minds mistakes, I promise I'll update next week _**NO MATTER WHAT**_. I may not have the next chapter back from editing, but if you don't mind a few mistakes here and there, I'll update anyway.

I know I don't deserve the reviews after this late of an update, but could you please update anyway? And I promise the next chapter is nearly twice the length of this one ^.- Also, I need to know whether you mind the mistakes. If you do, I'll wait however long it takes for me to get a chapter back. If not, I'll update weekly no matter what. I have the next five chapters typed up ^.^

– Rai


	29. Chapter 28: Confessions

_**Chapter twenty-eight: Confessions**_

The emerald-eyed beauty felt her heart ready to explode, worried that she would get caught any moment. But she had to do it, she had to find this woman who looked so much like her. To help her, to warn her. And maybe if she could, she would get her Xin back. Her husband back.

She placed the key into the office door just as she heard the front door bang open. She jumped back away from the office, her heart pounding and her adrenaline rushing. She pushed the key into her pocket and calmly walked into the entrance hall where her husband stood, anger raging in his dark eyes.

She felt herself grow cold — she hadn't seen that look since he found out the twins were still alive and in Japan.

"Xia Lin," he growled, catching the woman off guard. He also hadn't called her by her name since he had found the Li boy, Aka-something. She had always been called her other self's name. His true love's name, she was sure.

"Y-Yes?" Her voice shook as his gaze bore into hers. She didn't like that look; it was cold, angry and lustful.

"Come here," his voice was softer, but just as cold.

The emerald eyed beauty, Xia Lin, couldn't do anything but obey. With shaking legs, she walked over to her husband and let him wrap his arms around her. She felt him pull her close to him, and her whole body shuddered — any moment now, he'd be tearing her clothes off and forcing himself on her. Not that he had always been that way; just for a few months, since he had found out about the twins.

But he didn't. He simply held her, resting his head on hers and grinding his teeth together. She was calming for him, and although he did lust for her, he knew he couldn't do anything without hurting her in this state. He was angry — more than angry, he was pissed.

"X-Xin?" Xia Lin finally asked, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

His teeth ground together as he closed his eyes, simply inhaling her scent and trying to remain calm. "She's not dead. . .She survived."

The woman felt her heart flutter and a small smile spread across her lips, which she quickly replaced with a frown so as not to upset her husband. The Li girl was alive. Xin hadn't killed her. She could still save all of them, not just the boy anymore. Not just the father or her look-alike. She could save them all.

Still, she played her role as the concerning wife. She leaned her head against his chest, "How is that possible though, Xin? You burned the car, ne?"

His grasp on her tightened, though not to hurt her. He growled, "That damn brother of hers. I knew I should have stalled him."

Xia Lin couldn't help but let herself smile — the girl was still alive, and she was more determined than ever to get the information she needed and help this family. Though another thought crossed her mind as well, making her smile falter slightly.

With the girl surviving, Xin would also be more determined. He'd be planning more brutal attacks, perhaps bringing in the innocent like the poor older man he had forced to crash into the Nanamis' car. She had heard the man had died in the crash, and Xin basically pushed it off as he was old anyway. She didn't like it, and if he could murder that old man and attack the Li children, then what was stopping him from bringing in more innocent people and making them victims?

_No_, she thought. _I have to stop this. I have to stop him. . .and I will have my Xin back. I will._

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko woke up in a good mood. No, good didn't even describe it — Tsukiko woke up in an _amazing _mood. It was Sunday morning, meaning she had no school. And she had only one thing planned on her agenda for the day.

She bounced out of her warm bed and stretched, then gave a quick look around her room. This room, her room in the Li house, was much different from her old bedroom with her adoptive parents. For one, it was nearly double the size, and although she had thought it was too big at first, she quickly grew to love it. The walls were painted a red-orange, with one accent wall — the accent wall was a painted mural of a beautiful sunset, with the sky filled with every colour imaginable. It was peaceful, and Tsukiko loved it.

Quickly, she got dressed for the day, carefully picking out exactly what she was going to wear. Normally, she wouldn't fuss over what she was going to wear, but today was. . .different. She had to look just right. So she picked out a nice pair of low-rise dark skinny jeans and an olive green tightly knitted shirt — the shirt cut off at the shoulders and had a loose turtle-neck neckline that hung low. When her hair was up just right and her make-up was applied, she grabbed the tan corded jacket off her desk's chair and rushed down the stairs.

"Late enough?" Akatsuki teased as Tsukiko entered the kitchen. He sat at the island in the centre, slowing eating a bowl of cereal while still dressed in his baggy white tee and red flannel pajama-bottoms.

Tsukiko blushed slightly, eyeing the time. She hadn't realized how late it actually was, and panicked as she grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and the closest box of cereal to her. She used the rest of the milk and groaned; she had barely enough for her breakfast.

"Akatsuki-kun," Tsukiko lifted the jug of milk , "can you pick up some more milk today? Otou-san and okaa-san are already gone, ne?"

Syaoran had the Li Corp moving smoothly in Japan now, and Sakura worked with Tomoyo. Sometimes she would model, but most of the time she was helping Tomoyo plan fashion shows and acted like a secretary. Sakura was glad she was doing something while being able to stay close to home since Tomoyo worked at her house more than travelling to Tokyo.

"Why can't you?" Akatsuki frowned and looked his sister over. She was dressed nicely, like she had actually made an effort to look nicer than usual. For some reason, this made him agitated. "Where are _you _going today, anyway?"

Tsukiko sat across from him and blushed violently. "I'm going out. Aren't I allowed?"

His eyes narrowed, "With. . ?"

"Never mind," Tsukiko mumbled, turning to her bowl of cereal. Though she wasn't looking at him, she could feel her brother's angry eyes on her, waiting for a full answer, though it wasn't like he didn't already know.

"I don't like this," he finally told her, getting tired of her not completely answering him. "I don't like him."

"You don't have to," Tsukiko told him simply, only imagining his fuming face by now. "Why don't you like him?"

"Neither does otou-san." Akatsuki completely bi-stepped the question.

Before Tsukiko could say anything else, the doorbell rang. She felt her heart skip a beat and became too excited to really care about Akatsuki's mumbled words and cold glare. She dumped the remainder of her breakfast down the drain and ran off toward the door, slipping on her shoes before pulling the door open.

"Ohayou, Tsukiko," Kai Xing smiled warmly, making Tsukiko's heart skip another beat.

Tsukiko blushed only slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice, and smiled back. "Ohayou!" She grabbed her purse and turned to face the hall. "Remember to buy milk, please, Akatsuki-kun!"

She hurt a small grumble and shook her head, wanting nothing more than to smack him upside the head. But all negative thoughts crumbled as soon as Kai Xing slipped his hand into hers and pulled her gently out the door. He pulled her close to him, and held a firm but loving grip on her hand.

"So," he kissed the top of her head gently, "what were your plans for the day?"

Tsukiko smiled up at him and boldly tugged her hand away from his so that she could wrap her arm around him instead. He seemed to like the gesture, and returned it by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her closer. She smiled, "You showed me around Hong Kong, so I figured I should return the favour."

Kai Xing laughed, making Tsukiko blush a bit harder, as they walked down toward downtown. He kissed the top of her head again — he swore he'd never get tired of kissing her, even if they were small kisses like this. "Sounds great, Tsukiko. . .Lead the way."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki watched Tsukiko practically skip out of the room, making him feel even angrier. He didn't want her to spend the day with the Chinese boy. It wasn't right. Even though she liked the Wang boy, didn't mean he had to. He even growled when he heard the boy's gentle voice front the door, warmly greeting Tsukiko.

"Remember to buy milk, please, Akatsuki-kun!" He heard Tsukiko call out.

He rolled his eyes, and grumbled, "I'll get right on that."

He waited a bit after Tsukiko left, slowly finishing his breakfast, before finally going to get dressed for the day. He grabbed some money their mother left in a tin for any needs they may have, and shoved it into his jean pocket.

_May as well get it over with_, he thought bitterly as he locked the door behind him and jogged down the street to the nearby grocery store.

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki handed the cashier the money and took his two bags off the counter, then headed toward the door. He had gotten more than he intended; a package of instant udon noddles and a small box of sushi. He felt too lazy to make his lunch today and wanted something quick.

The automatic doors slid open, and Akatsuki quickly put on the brakes when he was about to run into someone who was entering the store. The person still didn't seem to stop in time and collided into him, almost falling back if not for Akatsuki's fast reflexes and catching their arm.

"Gomen nasai!" A young, feminine voice said quickly. "I didn't see you. . ."

Akatsuki's hold on the girl's arm tightened subconsciously when he realized who he was holding onto, but when the girl looked up at him and let her sentence trail, his cheeks became warm and he quickly let her go. The girl looked surprised to see him, but she smiled and pushed down her own blush.

"Kon'nichiwa, Li-kun!" Akimi said happily, pulling the strap of her purse back up onto her shoulder. She knew his name was Li now, though she was still supposed to call him Iwakura at school since no one else was supposed to know. "Are you shopping as well?"

Akatsuki forced a shaky smile and motioned down to the bags in his hand, "Already have."

"Oh," the girl's eyes seemed to lose their sparkle for a moment, as if she was disappointed, but then they quickly lit up again. She smiled again, "Well, I guess then I'll see you at school tomorrow, ne? Sayonara!"

As she began to walk away, Akatsuki felt himself panic. He whipped around, his heart beating a mile a minute. He spoke before he could think about what he was about to say. "I-if you want, I could help you carry your groceries home. You. . .you live farther from the store than I do, ne?"

Akimi turned to face him. She felt her own face tinge slightly pink, but she quickly hid it with a large smile. "Arigatou, Li-kun!"

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko let Kai Xing pay for their crepes, though she had wanted to pay for her own, and led him over to a close by park bench. So far she had shown him the library, craft store and candy shop. She had pointed out some smaller stores, such as the local toy store and some cafes. Still, they had only gotten through about half of downtown Tomoeda when her stomach had started growling (much to her embarrassment) and Kai Xing had found her something to eat. The closest thing they could find was a sweet stand, and both decided to get crepes.

Tsukiko took a bite of her crepe and smiled happily to herself — strawberry-chocolate had always been her favourite. She turned to look at Kai Xing seated beside her and blushed violently when she realized he hadn't taken a bite of his food yet, and was merely watching her with brightly-lit eyes.

"D-Do I have something on my face?" She asked nervously, not understanding why he was staring at her.

He blinked twice, as if confused by her question, then smiled widely. He laughed and shook his head, receiving a small frown from a very confused Tsukiko.

"No, that's not it," he told her. He reached out a hand and nervously took hers, slowly entwining his fingers with hers. He felt a blush of his own appear when he saw her look down at their hands, but quickly pushed it down and grinned. "I like this, spending time with you. It's nice."

Tsukiko looked back down at their hands and blushed even more. His hand in hers. . .His fingers wrapped around hers. . .It was so nice. So warm. She felt a smile spread across her lips as she nervously looked back up at him. "So do I."

She took the last few bites of her crepe, then scooted herself closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen below her, and at first she thought she had done something wrong, but then he had his arm around her and was pulling her closer. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, enjoying his nearness. So warm. . .So nice.

"Tsukiko," he whispered her name into her hair, making Tsukiko's arm hair stand on end. She pulled away slightly to look up at him, her heart thudding at an incredible speed. She saw an unfamiliar glint in his eyes that made her heart flutter and her cheeks warm.

"Y-Yes?" She felt her voice catch in her throat.

Kai Xing's answer was a breath-taking smile. He ran the back of his hand along her cheek, moving his other hand around her waist. He gently caught her chin in his hand, gazing into her eyes for the briefest of seconds before he closed his eyes and began leaning down toward her.

Tsukiko's eyes widened, her heart racing furiously in her chest. When she saw his eyes close, she imitated the action. She felt herself waiting for his lips, her blood pumping faster and faster as she felt him draw nearer and nearer.

And then, she heart stopped all together. Not because he had stopped his action, or because his lips had touched hers, but because of a sudden pain in her chest and a screaming voice in her head. She felt a curse word on the tip of her lips as her eyes flew open. She felt the magic being used before seeing the lightening rushing toward them, and somehow felt ready for it. Panic seizing her body, she threw her arms around Kai Xing and pushed them off the bench, landing on the ground with a painful thud.

"Tsu — !?" He began, his own eyes flinging open by her sudden actions.

"Crap!" She cursed loudly, surprising them both. Tsukiko groaned inwardly — that was her second time cussing in a week. Her brother's foul mouth was definitely rubbing off on her.

She jumped up once she heard Xin's cold snickers from the distance and glanced around for him. She couldn't see him, but she could definitely feel him. Her frantic eyes glanced back down to Kai Xing, who still laid on the ground with confused eyes looking up at her.

"Get up!" She hissed, not meaning for it to sound so mean. She tried to sound calmer, but the tremor of panic stayed in her voice. "Get up, now!"

He obeyed, watching her look around frantically. He wanted to ask her what she was doing, both concerned and confused by her strange behaviour. He didn't get to ask before she grabbed onto his hands and looked up at him, pleading.

"Please," her voice was strained, shaking even. Not for herself, but for him. "You have to leave. You have to get away, _far _away. . .**now**."

"What!?" He stared down at her with fury-burning eyes. "How can you ask that? What's going on!?"

"I. . .I can't tell you," she squeaked, looking away and biting her lower lip nervously. "Just, please, listen to me. You have to get out of here, before — !"

"Aww, is the poor 'widdle giwl scawd of the big bad Li?"

Tsukiko felt her back straighten up and her heart stop. Her hand squeezed against Kai Xing's for a brief second before she whipped around, standing protectively in front of Kai Xing. She backed up close enough to him to place her arms on his hips and stared at Xin with cold, hate filled eyes. Her lip curled back slightly and a low growl left her throat.

"You have some nerve to show your face to me," she growled dangerously, rage flashing in her eyes.

"And what have I ever done to deserve _that_, Miss Li?" Xin smirked, receiving another growl from Tsukiko. He chuckled coldly before his eyes landed on Kai Xing, a wider smirk running across his face as he saw Tsukiko stiffen even more. "Ah, and who might this be? Someone. . .important, perhaps?"

"Leave him alone," she told him sternly, her hands itching to take him down. "He knows nothing about this and isn't involved in any way. He is to stay out of this, Li. Let him out of here safely."

"Tsukiko?" Kai Xing leaned down close to her ear, nervous about her reaction to the man standing not even fifty feet in front of them. He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her though it did nothing to help. "What's going on? Who is he?"

Tsukiko ignored him, her eyes never leaving Xin. "Leave him out of this, Li."

Xin smirked. "No, I don't think I will. You see, technically you aren't even supposed to be here. You were supposed to die along with the two you called parents." His smile sank, replaced with a hard, cold glare of hatred toward Tsukiko. "And if that damned brother of yours didn't get in my way, it would have worked out. You wouldn't even be here. So now, apparently, I need to go a new route. And if I need to involve someone to get that," he glanced to Kai Xing and smirked again. "Well then, I will."

"NO!" Tsukiko screamed, not having time to use her own magic even as a defence before Xin's sword spat angry flames toward them. She whipped back around and shoved Kai Xing out of the way, feeling the flames heat against her back. She almost screamed from the pain, feeling the fire's heart burn her back. She bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from crying, throwing off her jacket, not daring to look at the damage. She grabbed onto Kai Xing's hand and ran toward the closest tree — _funny,_ she thought as she ran, _he always attacks when there are no people we don't know around, expect for the car crash. And it's always in open spaces. . ._

She pushed Kai Xing's back to the tree, making sure he was hidden enough from Xin. She looked up at him, pain in her eyes. She didn't want to leave him there, but she also didn't want to wait for Xin to come around the tree and attack again. A tree wouldn't hold him off.

"Please," her voice was strained, worry filled, as she stared up at Kai Xing. "Stay here, please. Don't move."

"But why?" His voice was also strained. He brought a hand up and rested his palm against her cheek. "What's going on here, Tsukiko?"

"I. . .I can't tell you," she told him honestly. "Just please stay here. I'll be back so — "

"What!?" He choked. "No! He'll hurt you! You can't seriously think I'll let you walk out to him!?"

Tsukiko smiled, placing her hand above his and gently removed it. "I'll be alright, I promise."

She didn't give him another chance to answer. She simply kissed him on the cheek and ran out to the open again, her hands inches apart, ready to perform a spell at any moment. Xin leaned against his sword, a smug smile across his face as Tsukiko came back into his view.

"So he is important, is he?" He asked with a smirk.

"Leave him alone," Tsukiko hissed, her eyes only on him. "He did nothing. He has no part of this."

"Oh, but he is," Xin said coldly. "He's with you, that makes him part of this."

Before Tsukiko could let this reality settle in, Xin was attacking her again. She jumped out of the way before the white hot lightening could strike her, cursed slightly, then threw her wind spell toward him. He, too, jumped out of the way, though the spell still caught him enough. He lost his footing and stumbled back a few steps, glaring at Tsukiko before throwing his own wind spell at her.

Tsukiko landed flat on her back with an groan. Though she didn't allow herself to stay down for too long, and shot a stronger wind force to him. _I won't let him win! _She screamed at herself as she threw a second spell before he could retaliate. _I'll kill him myself if I have to! And where the hell is Akatsuki!? He should have felt him by now, the baka!_

Xin was caught off guard by her second attack in a row, and was knocked hard against a tree behind him. He cursed loudly, the pain from hitting the tree spreading through his entire body. He peeled himself off the tree, cracking his back to ease the pain. His eyes narrowed on the gloating girl, as old memories floated into his mind. A younger boy, with the same eyes and hair colour as her, gloating to him that he has won the fight they had just had. Though in this memory, Xin wasn't angry that he had won. He had laughed it off.

_No_, he snarled, _this gloating is completely different! She thinks she's won? Ha!_

He pointed his sword toward the tree Tsukiko defensively stood near, and took out another ofuda from his pocket. "You think you're so tough, little girl? And what if I do _this_?"

Tsukiko stood in front of the tree, her mind growing with even more rage. She wouldn't let him hurt Kai Xing. Not a hair on his head. "I told you to leave him out of this!"

He didn't listen; Tsukiko watched in horror as his spell formed on his lips. She growled again, though it was deeper this time, as her eyes turned murderous. She felt something different in her body as her anger burned to fury and rage. Something was building up. . .Something was different. It was her magic, yes, but at the same time. . .She didn't know. It was new, yet familiar.

Her hands took their normal position. Her eyes narrowed on him and she let the new feeling, the new power, grow and engulf her.

"Kaji — " she swiped her fingers together, hard enough to create the extra friction needed. A small snap could be heard if one listened close enough. " — UMOU!"

Flames wider than Tsukiko had ever seen before shot out from her hands, racing like a rushing stream toward Xin. The brightly lit flames, filled with reds and yellows, flew towards Xin who had been taken by too much surprise to move. His eyes widened in horror as the flames got close enough to feel their heat, before he snapped out of his daze and placed a shield over himself.

Tsukiko watched as the flames — _her _flames — shot out toward Xin. She was too shocked with herself to notice that Xin was gone by the time the smoke from her fire cleared. Shaking, both from surprise and exhaustion, she turned her palms up toward her and stared down in awe. Sure, she was tired, but not nearly as tired as the first time she had used Fire. And this time it had been on her own, with no outside help. All her, no one else. A grin broke out onto her face.

A hand rested on Tsukiko's shoulder, making her jump away and twirl around. She placed her hands back into a fighting stance, ready for another battle when she saw the boy's worried expression. She quickly calmed, seeing Kai Xing, and immediately felt guilty for being so ready to fight when it was him behind her. She bowed her head, ashamed.

"Tsu-Tsukiko," he struggled to say her name, not knowing where to start. He had been watching carefully, every nerve in his body screaming at him to help her as she had fought Xin. But he knew that he would be of no help. He had seen what he thought was impossible — magic being used. Not only by the man, either, but by Tsukiko, _his _Tsukiko, as well.

He shook his head, knowing full well he need not be afraid of her, and stepped closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sighing as he buried his head into her hair. Feeling her in his arms gave him some sort of relief, because he knew she was safe. He felt her stiffen at first, but thankfully settle into his embrace and hugged him back.

"Tsukiko," he began again, "I was so worried. So scared."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest. "I'm sorry. He won't hurt you, I promise."

He pulled away, holding her at arms length with anger in his beautiful eyes. "You think I was scared for me!? How could I be! I was worried sick about you! I was. . .Tsukiko!? Hey!"

He panicked as her eyelids fluttered closed and her head fell limp against his chest. His arms tightened protectively around her, as he sunk to his knees. He cradled her in his arms, keeping her close to him. He frowned, not knowing what to do and panicking over her fainting.

"Tsu-Tsukiko?" He tried to remain calm.

She groaned, her eyes opening a fraction. "Yes?"

He sighed with relief, gently tracing the contour of her face with his fingers. "You're tired?"

She moaned and closed her eyes, burying her head into his chest. "Yes. . .gomen ne." She didn't wait for a reply before she was asleep, her breathing calm and even.

Kai Xing sighed, watching her with worrisome eyes. He held her tighter, kissing the top of her head gently, before struggling to stand up with her in his arms bridal style. He had to get her home, where hopefully her parents or brother would be to help her.

"You will tell me everything," he whispered into her hair. "But for now, sleep, my little _yue hua_."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki watched Akimi closely as she walked along beside him. She was telling him about a math question she was having difficulties with, trying to describe how far she had gotten so, hopefully, Akatsuki could help her with it. He had to admit, he was only half paying attention to her. He just couldn't stop looking down at her, watching closely how her lips moved with her words, or how her eyes lit up toward him.

"So," Akimi asked finally, having an odd feeling that he wasn't completely listening. "Did you understand that question?"

"Huh?" Akatsuki turned bright red as soon as the word left his lips, and began glowing when Akimi began giggling. He shook his head, trying to rid the blush, and smiled weakly. "I. . .No, I didn't. I. . .ah, asked Tsukiko for help on it. Maybe she can help you."

"Oh?" Akimi asked with a small smile. "I called Tsukiko-chan last night, and she told me she didn't get it either. Did she figure it out then?"

"M-maybe I'm thinking of a different question then," Akatsuki mumbled, trying hard not to turn an even deeper shade of red when she giggled again.

"I'm just poking fun with you, Li-kun."Akimi got control over her giggling. She went looked up at him. Quickly her smile fell when she realized he had stopped. Before she could ask anything, Akatsuki held out his arm to stop her from walking any farther. His eyes were narrowed, and he began frantically looking around.

"Li. . .kun?" She began, knowing already what was going on, simply from his body actions. She tried following his gaze when it stopped on a particular spot, a tree not fifty feet away from them, but saw nothing. She opened her mouth to ask where _he _was, but quickly shut it when Akatsuki quickly pulled her close to him and knelt to the ground, holding her close and trying to shield her with his own body.

Before Akimi could ask, she felt the heat and saw the bright, intense fire streaming toward them. She closed her eyes tight, holding onto Akatsuki's arm tightly as the flames flew over them and missed Akatsuki by a hair's breadth.

When the flames were done, and the air above them was clear, Akimi felt Akatsuki's grip on her loosen slightly as he gave a low growl, "Damn Li."

Akatsuki stood, and pulled Akimi along beside them. Forgetting their bags, he broke out into a run while keeping a firm hold on Akimi's hand. He led her to the closest and largest tree, and stopped behind it. Lightly, he pushed Akimi up against the tree and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Stay here," he ordered.

"Let me help this time!" Akimi asked desperately, her eyes widening when he began to walk away from her. She saw him stop, and decided to continue. "I can help, please!"

"No," his voice cracked, and he refused to look back at her. "You've only seen him fight a few times now, and you have no way to protect yourself. Just, please. . .stay hidden."

Before she could protest, Akatsuki had taken out a sun-shaped pendant and closed his eyes. A glowing golden light emerged before the pendent extended in to his sword. Akimi sighed, and remained behind the tree, though she snuck her head around the trunk to watch what was happening. Akatsuki had his sword out, standing in the middle of the walkway. His eyes were searching in front of him, and Akimi turned her eyes to where he was looking to see the tall man known as Li Xin walking towards him.

"Ah, young Akatsuki," Xin sneered. "I was hoping to find you out today. You see, after defeating your lovely sister, I felt so good I thought to myself, 'hey, why don't you go and take care of the other while you're at it'."

Akatsuki growled and felt his grip on the blade tighten, "What did you do with Tsukiko!?"

"Oh, nothing much," Xin smirked, taking out his own sword. "I really thought she'd put up more of a fight, though. And that boy that was with her. . .What a weakling. Oh, but I'm sure you already knew that."

"She better be alright!" Akatsuki yelled. "You better not have hurt her!"

Xin's devilish sneer only made Akatsuki more angry, and he quickly lashed out. He used his sword to double his powers and set a long, winding line of flames toward Xin. Xin easily jumped them, and pulled out a white ofuda, sending a spinning wind down to Akatsuki, who blocked it by pulling the earth up over as a shield. When the wall went down, Xin landed on ground in front of Akatsuki and quickly their swords clashed against one another.

But Akatsuki was only new using his sword, only having it for less than a month, and didn't have skills nearly equalized to Xin. Although he had been quickly learning how to use the sword, it was useless in a blade-to-blade fight against Xin, who had years of experience under his belt.

Xin smirked, pushing his blade forward so Akatsuki slid a bit. "Ah, so I see Xiao Lang hasn't been showing you proper techniques. Lesson one, Akatsuki; don't un-sheath your sword until you have mastered it."

"I'll take that into consideration," Akatsuki growled, trying to push his blade on Xin but failed.

Xin smiled wickedly, "Give it up, kid. I've been practising since I was three years old, just like your old man. There's no way you can win against me."

"Fu — "

Xin pushed down on his sword again, making Akatsuki almost lose his footing, "Ah ah ah, temper, Akatsuki, temper. Your mother wouldn't want to hear you using such foul language, now would she?"

Before Akatsuki had a chance to respond, the older man's blade was pushing down again and Akatsuki lost his footing. He crashed to the ground back first, and quickly tried to stand again, but not before Xin had the tip of his sword pointed in Akatsuki's face. Akatsuki stopped, his eyes angrily fixed on the threatening sharp point.

"As I said," Xin said with a wicked smile. "You and I may be almost matched for magic, but with playing swords. . .I'll always win. It's too bad, though. . .I was hoping for more fun than that. I figured you'd be better than that pathetic attempt."

He raised his sword slightly to make the final blow, when something hard hit him in the head. He winced slightly, and angrily looked down to the ground to see what had hit him. He almost laughed when he saw the fist-sized rock laying to rest beside him. Quickly, his eyes shot up from the rock toward the spot where it had come from to see a young woman with bright sapphire eyes standing beside a tree, her chest heaving in and out angrily. Her scared but furious gaze was settled on him, as she clutched another rock in her hand, itching to throw it.

"Leave him alone!" Akimi screamed. "He didn't do anything to you, jerk!"

Xin's eyes widened, then slowly narrowed on her. He made a move toward her, when Akatsuki was suddenly standing again and had his blade across Xin's neck. He growled angrily, "Don't touch her, Li. She's not part of this, so just leave her."

"Oh but she is," Xin smirked. "She threw something at me, and needs to be punished for interfering."

Before Akatsuki could respond, Xin was gone. He panicked, feeling his presence still lingering and quickly his eyes shot towards Akimi. Akimi shrugged, not knowing where Xin had done either until something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She turned to see Xin hiding behind the tree she had previously hid behind, a disgusting smirk across his face.

"That wasn't nice, little girl," Xin scolded her as he walked toward Akimi. His smile grew as his hands reached out toward the frozen girl's neck — no sense in wasting any power on her. His hand was inches away from her when a sudden wall shot up between the two from the ground, placing a thick barrier between Xin and Akimi.

The ground moving seemed to break Akimi's daze, and she whipped around to run. She didn't get far, though, before a hand latched onto her shoulder. Her scream was muffled by another hand pressing against her mouth. She was quickly turned around to see Akatsuki, who had removed his hand from her mouth to push a finger against his lips, signalling her not to scream. He quickly led her to a small row of bushes, hiding her behind them. He crouched in front of her, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and concern.

"For the love of God, Hamamoto-san," he said sternly. "Stay here, understand?"

"But you needed hel — !"

"No!" He raised his voice unintentionally and balled up his fists, realizing only now that he had dropped his sword. His blazing eyes glared accusingly at Akimi. "Don't you dare worry about me! I'm fine, alright? Just. . .Just stay hidden. If something happens," he looked down at her softer, though more sternly, "run. Just run. . .Got it?"

"But — !"

"Understand?" He clenched his teeth together.

Akimi opened her mouth to object again, but quickly shut it when his intense jade eyes glared down at her even harder, as if daring her to continue. She matched his glare, then looked away, refusing to look at him again. She crossed her arms tightly against her chest and then mumbled, "Fine. Whatever."

Akatsuki winced hearing her bitter tone toward him, but realized he had probably been ten times worse to her. Still, he wanted to extend his hand and touch her, kiss her cheek, apologize. . .But he held back. He had no right to do anything of that sort, and she had been the one who hadn't listened in the first place. She had thrown the rock, endangering herself with her irrational thinking. And yet, he wanted. . .needed. . .to protect her.

He stood up and without another word he began walking towards his — surprisingly — still standing wall. Taking out all of his frustration, he side-kicked the wall and let it crumble without having to use any of his magic.

There stood Xin, waiting behind the wall with a smug smile. He was leaning against his sword, as if getting bored of having to wait for Akatsuki to join him again when he so easily could have torn down or gone around the stupid wall. Akatsuki growled angrily and placed his hands in a ready position for a spell, completely forgetting about his sword.

"Don't bother," Xin said, looking down at his watch. "I'm late for something, anyway. Sorry, it has truly been. . .interesting."

"Then we're just going to work with your schedule, are we!?" Akatsuki asked between a locked jaw. "That doesn't work for me."

"I'd lose that tongue, boy," Xin shot back with as much anger. "After I spared your girlfriend's life."

Akatsuki had no time to say anything else, though a very heavy swear word was on the tip of his tongue, before Xin used a fire spell to blind Akatsuki and then he was gone. Akatsuki growled again — the coward always just disappeared like that. Was he so afraid of them knowing where he went? He still swore under his breath, though not the word he originally was going to say, and walked over to his sword. He shifted it back to it's pendent form — a thumb-sized golden sun — before turning to the row of bushes he had left Akimi at.

He held out his hand, offering to help her up, but she looked at it like it was some sort of disease and stood on her own. He frowned, but said nothing about it and dropped his hand. Akimi approached him, her arms still crossed, with a furious glare in her eyes. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but she spoke before he could.

"You _baka_!" She screamed, slapping him across the cheek.

The slap wasn't hard, it didn't hurt him, but it did take Akatsuki by surprise. His eyes widened as he slowly touched his cheek and looked down at her, confused. Tears rimmed her eyes, and before he could say anything else she had whipped around and was running down the street.

Akatsuki watched her for a few moments, still dazed by her slap. Then he grunted, becoming angry himself, and furiously ran his hand through his hair. She would only run home, anyway. And Xin's presence was completely gone, so he didn't need to worry.

He turned to leave and was stunned by what he saw. Not twenty feet from him stood Kai Xing, worry creases on his forehead, holding a limp girl in his arms. Akatsuki's eyes widened on the girl, panic taking over his body, as he ran over to her.

"Tsukiko!" He screamed, holding out his hands to take her. When he saw Kai Xing's grip on her tighten, not willing to give her up, her growled and glared at him. "What the hell happened to her!?"

The boy shrugged, "I honestly don't know. I was hoping you would explain it to me, but please, let her sleep. She was exhausted after this man attacked us, and — "

"Dammit," he growled, holding out his hands again. "Give her to me. She can explain it to you. I won't."

Kai Xing held her tighter still, looking down at Akatsuki with frustration. He knew he was tempting fate, refusing to give her over to her brother, but he still refused to let go of her. He frowned, "Li-kun, it's obvious you don't like me " — Akatsuki scoffed — "and I haven't been here long enough to know any of you well, but it seems she was upset. Hamamoto-san, I mean."

Akatsuki frowned angrily, "Stay out of it."

"It may not be any of my concern — "

"Damn straight it isn't."

"— However," Kai Xing continued anyway, bringing his voice lower and made sure to meet Akatsuki's murderous gaze. "However, are you really going to let her get away?"

XxXxXxX

Once she was far enough not to see Akatsuki anymore, Akimi slowed down her pace to a walk. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep herself warm. Her eyes stung and she had to close them to make the feeling go away. She began softly singing to herself, trying to ease her thoughts.

**Hitori bocchi nan ka ja nai'nda to**_ (Escaping into nights, I told myself.)_  
**Yoru ni nigeko'nde ii kikaseta** _(That I was not at all alone.)_  
**Kekkyoku sore wa jibun no kodoku wo**_ (But after all, it revealed.)_  
**Hinihini ukibori ni shite dake datta**_ (Nothing but my loneliness day by day.)_

**Gensou kara hanareta kaeri michi **_(On my way home from the bustle of the city.__**)  
****Itsumo tonari mo kawaranai no ni **__(Though it was no different from any other day.)  
**Kurikaeshite'ku no ka to omottara** __(I thought I would repeat such pattern of life.)  
**Kyuu ni namida ga komiagete kita **__(And tears welled up suddenly.)_

"Hamamoto-san!"

She opened her eyes but didn't stop walking. The stinging in her eyes returned and it was only then that she realized that she had been crying. She touched the tiny droplets running down her cheek and stared down at them, immediately angry that she had been, and still was, crying.

"_Hamamoto-san! _"

**Tayori na kute na sake na kute **_(Feeling weak and wretched.)  
**Fuan de samishikute **__(Uneasy and lonely.)  
**Koe ni naranai koe de **__(I wanted some warmth.)  
**Nukumori o hoshigatta **__(In a faint voice.)_

"AKIMI!"

That stopped her — him saying her name, her _first _name. She felt her eyes widen and her heart quicken as she heard his heavy footsteps speed up and come closer to her. He spun around her so he was facing her, mixed emotions spread across his face — anger, passion, sorrow, frustration. . .regret.

"Y. . .You called me by my first name," Akimi said quietly, hardly able to believe it.

He grabbed onto her shoulders and looked down at her. "What were you thinking, running off like that!? What if Xin came after you and I couldn't get to you fast enough!?"

Akimi felt her own anger build. She pulled away from him, her fists balling up at her sides, shaking. She glared at him accusingly. "Like you care!"

"What are you talking about!?" Akatsuki yelled, still angry. How could she even think that he didn't care? She knew nothing! Nothing of his feelings for her. He felt his anger grow a bit from her unthoughtful words. "That's not true!"

Akimi shook her head, feeling the tears beginning to accumulate in her eyes again. As soon as Akatsuki saw this, his eyes grew soft for her. Not wanting him to see anything else, Akimi looked away from him and began biting on her lower lip, trying to stop her tears.

Akatsuki sighed and reached out his shaking hand for her. He touched her chin — she jumped slightly at this — and stepped closer to her. He moved his hand to her cheek, and slowly began soothing her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he told her gently. Then he smiled softly, "It's not true though, I assure you."

**Nee kimi wa tashika ni totsuzen araware **_(But it's certain you appeared suddenly.)_**  
Watashi no kurayami ni hikari sashita **_(And a ray of light shone in my darkness.)_**  
Soshite sukoshi waratte **_(You smiled a little.)  
**Daijoubu datte unazuite** __(Told me it was all right with a nod.)_

Akimi shook her head, wanting that damn song to leave her mind. It was too painful, reminded her too much of him. More tears built up in her eyes, and Akatsuki took this as her not believing him. It hurt him that she was crying, that she wasn't looking at him. He took a chance by stepping even closer to her.

"Akimi," he whispered her name clearly, making both of their hearts beat furiously.

Akimi looked up just in time to see him leaning down toward her, eyes closed, his face beat red. She felt her own face warm and heard a loud voice in her mind, screaming at her to stop him or to at least resist. But she didn't want to stop him. She wanted this. With her face three times darker than his, she closed her eyes and waited for him.

Every angry emotion flooded away from both of them as soon as Akatsuki's lips met hers. Both being inexperienced, they simply stayed there at first, lips on lips. But somehow, only moments later, Akatsuki began to deepen it instinctively. He moved one hand to the nape of her neck and the other to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him and began slowly moving his lips above hers. Akimi felt herself melt and let herself be pulled against him, moving her hands to his chest and taking fistfuls of his shirt into her hands. She, too, began moving her lips along with his, trying to drive all her emotions for him into that single kiss.

And then, abruptly, too soon for Akimi, it stopped. Her eyes remained closed, but she felt his body heat leave her. When she opened her eyes she saw him standing a few feet away from her, deep red in the face, looking ashamed.

"Aki. . .Hamamoto-san, I-I mean. . .Gomen nasai," he stumbled over his words. "That was completely out of line, and — !"

"Why?" Akimi asked softly, disappointment in her voice. "Why the change of name?"

His eyes widened, "I. . .didn't think that you wanted that, Hama — "

Akimi took a step closer to her and narrowed her eyes. "Akimi."

"What?"

"It's Akimi," she told him straight out.

**Tsuyoku naritai to nagatta no wa **_(It was not because I wanted to be dull to pain.)_**  
Itami ni nikoku naru tame ja nai **_(That I wished to be strong.)_

He looked at her nervously, almost wearily, as Akimi stepped closer to him. He didn't move, not knowing what to do, as she snaked her arms around his neck. She was just as red, if not redder, than he was, apparently nervous about this gesture as well, but she didn't back down. She refused to back down. He had made the first move, and she wasn't letting him get away now.

**Atae atte yurushi atta **_(We gave and forgave each other.)_**  
Ano hi imamo o teiki tei **_(I got what I wanted to protect.)  
**Mono kateki dakara **__(On that day.)_

She took a small breath and looked down nervously, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Li-kun, what are your feelings toward me?"

"F-f-feelings?" He mumbled incoherently. When her gaze shot up at him, full of frustration and confusion, he drew in a deep breath and felt himself redden even more. "I. . .I like you, Hamamoto-san. You are. . .You are a very nice girl."

"But only as a friend?" She asked with a touch of disappointment. When he didn't answer, she felt her heart stop beating — not because of fluttering, but because it felt broken. She looked away, thinking she had embarrassed herself, and began to pull away when she felt Akatsuki's hands stop her.

Akatsuki grabbed onto her waist, stopping her from moving. He waited until she looked back up at him, glad he had stopped her from removing her hands from around his neck as well, and smiled nervously. Then, for the second time, he boldly leaned down and kissed her again. It wasn't a peck, but it wasn't as long or as passionate as last time, either.

"That's not what I meant," Akatsuki assured her. "I like you a lot, please don't get that wrong."

"But _how _do you like me?" Akimi couldn't help but ask. She didn't care if he had kissed her — twice. She wanted to hear him say it, hear him confess to her. She had waited too long _not _to hear him say it.

Akatsuki frowned, his heart pounding away. He wanted to tell her, but didn't know how to put his feelings into words. So he showed her again, by kissing her a third time. This one was heated, passionate, more than their first kiss. Lips moving frantically against each other, bodies pressed against one another. And he didn't want to pull away, though he knew he had to for air. When he finally did pull away, their breathing was rough, ragged.

He leaned down, resting his head on hers and closed his eyes. A smile crossed his lips, "Does that answer your question, Akimi?"

Akimi blushed, her heart leaping. Not only had he kissed her again, and so passionately at that, but he had called her by her first name again. "I. . .I want to hear you say it."

Akatsuki chuckled, "Daisuke, Akimi. . .I love you. You're my number one."

Akimi's blush deepened, "Thank you."

"And you?" He asked softly, drawing tiny circles on the small of her back as he still held her close to him. "What are your feelings toward me?"

Akimi paused for a moment; she didn't want to simply say it. He meant so much to her, and she wanted him to know that. So she smiled and pushed herself closer to him, making him move his head off hers. She leaned up on her tip-toes and placed her lips close to his ear, smiling to herself when she felt him shiver. She started to sing.

**"****Nee kimi wa tokidoki mububi sugiru gurai **_("Sometimes you are too unprotected.)_**  
Watashi ni subete de butsu katte kuru **_(And come face to face with me with all your might.)_**  
Sore wa amari ni mo mabushii sugiru hodo de **_(It's so much dazzling.)_**  
Watashi wa mabata kisae mo oshimu no" **_(That I even spare the time of a blink.")_

She continued singing softly in his ear. Her voice wasn't nearly as beautiful as Akimi's, but she thought it was enough. Her voice was small, kind and sweet. And through this song, the song she had always thought of him with, she hoped he would get her message**.  
**

**"K****imi wa se ni tenshi no hane wo motsu" **_("You have an angel's wings on your back.")  
_

_**"K****ono kanashiki jidai no giseisha ni **__("I heartily hope that you will not be.)  
**Kimi wa douka naranaide hoshii **__(A victim of this sad age.)  
**Setsunaru omoi ga todoku youni to **__(I sing this song today just as I pray.)  
**Watashi wa kyou mo inoru youni otau" **__(So that my dearest wish may reach you.")_

**"****Kimi wa se ni tenshi no hane wo motsu **_(You have an angel's wings on your back.")_

She finally pulled away after lingering by his ear for a few more moments, keeping her hands rested firmly on his shoulders. He seemed dazed, awed, as his eyes lit up at her. She smiled, then leaned her head against his strong chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, resting his lips on her hair.

"I love you, Akatsuki-kun," his name brought a tingle to her lips. She closed her eyes and greedily inhaledhis scent, still musky after his battle with Xin. "I love you so much."

Akatsuki smiled, loving how his name sounded in her voice. "I feel the same way, Akimi. I love you."

XxXxXxX

**See? I promise you that no matter what I'd update ^.^ Right? Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes...Jade went through it twice as did I, so I hope we caught everything. If not, I deeply apologize. **

**PLEASE update!! I know this story is getting horribly long; believe me, in the original outline it was ONLY supposed to be ten chapters. But I hope you'll still update....I started to get lots and now I'm lucky to get any it seems. Please update. The more I get, the more I'll be encouraged and the faster I'll update. SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!**

**~ Rai**


	30. Chapter 29: Last Question

_**Chapter twenty-nine: Last Question**_

Amber eyes fluttered open as a soft moan left the owner's lips. The girl looked up to be met with a pair of wide, worried violet eyes. She gasped after a moment, realizing she was laying across the couch with her head resting on the violet-eyed boy's lap, and sat up.

"G-gomen nasai!" Tsukiko said quickly, shifting over so that there was a gap between her and Kai Xing. She nervously placed her hands into her lap, knowing full well how red her face was. "I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."

Kai Xing smiled and shook his head. "No, it's alright. I don't want you to worry about falling asleep. You were obviously tired."

Tsukiko didn't answer, but instead looked down at her now opened hands, shaking and in awe. A small smile full of pride crept onto her face and her eyes suddenly lit up. "I. . .I can't believe it. Fire, wow. . .And I can still feel it! It's strong. So much different than Moon. Wow, just. . .wow. Can I do it again? Or Earth? Wow. . .Sun powers. . ."

Nervously, Kai Xing reached out for one of her hands and squeezed it, trying to catch her attention. He waited until she looked up at him, his mind swarming with questions. He didn't smile now, or more so he couldn't, as memories of the mysterious Chinese man and her fought resurfaced in his mind.

"I want to know everything that's going on, Tsukiko," he told her sternly, but not harshly. "Tell me what's going on, please."

Tsukiko's eyes widened with understanding and horror as reality set in. Kai Xing saw her use magic. Xin had seen Kai Xing and knew what he was to her. He was now in danger for being too close to her. Xin had found a new way to get to her, to lure her out if need be. . .

All her fault, her mind kept screaming at her. It was all her fault. . .

"Tsukiko?" Kai Xing frowned, feeling her shake. He scooted himself closer to her so their arms were at least touching and squeezed her hand again, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Please, Tsukiko, tell me."

"No," she shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "No, I can't. You'll get hurt, Kai Xing-kun. I can't. I can't!"

"_I _'ll get hurt?" His voice matched hers; barely a whisper. "And what about you, exactly? That man was attacking _you_! Not me!"

"I can't," she repeated again, shifting away from him to leave a gap again. She tried to pull her hand back as well, but his grasp was too strong. "He wants to hurt you. And it's all my fault. . .Kami, it's all my fault."

"No, it's not, please," he pleaded softly, moving closer to her again. Before she could pull away, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side. She tensed, but he refused to let go. "Tell me, please. I need to know. Maybe I can help?"

"No!" She wailed, tears falling down her face now. She tried to pull away from Kai Xing's warm hold, but he wouldn't let go. If anything, no matter how hard she tried to pull away, he simply tightened his grasp and tried to soothe her by gently caressing her arm. This only made her cry harder, and she had to force herself not to turn her face into his shoulder for comfort. "I-I-I won't le-let you get hurt! I c-cant tell you. I won't tell y-you."

Kai Xing opened his mouth to argue with her when something caught his eye. His gaze shifted away from her to see Akatsuki and Akimi – hand in hand – standing in the doorway. The brother Li's blazing emerald eyes bore daggers into Kai Xing as he took in the scene of Tsukiko crying and Kai Xing's arm around her. The only thing keeping him in place was Akimi's hand wrapped firmly around his.

"Leave," he instructed firmly between clenched teeth. He felt Akimi squeeze his hand, but it did hardly anything to calm him down.

Kai Xing's arm tightened around Tsukiko. He knew Akatsuki didn't like him, anyway. He was sure there wasn't anything more he could really do to make the guy hate him any more, so there was no point in trying to change that. "No, I'm staying until I know what's going on. Who was that man? Why is he attacking both of you? And I know what I saw. . .So there's no point in trying to deny anything."

Akimi's eyes widened in understanding. "You saw Li?" When Kai Xing didn't answer, her wide eyes turned onto the back of Tsukiko's head. "Tsukiko-chan, is that what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Is it so bad if the man saw me?" Kai Xing asked with a frown to Akimi.

Akimi ignored him and focused on her hurting friend. She felt her heart reach out to Tsukiko as she turned her head, her large amber eyes pleading Akimi for help. She looked torn between wanting Kai Xing to stay there, to keep holding her, and to keep him safe. Akimi only knew this from seeing the look not only from her before, but also Akatsuki. It was something the two shared.

She nodded to Tsukiko and pursed her lips slightly. "Wang-kun, I think it'd be best if you left."

"But I – !"

"Please," Tsukiko's strained voice finally spoke, startling all of them. Kai Xing looked down at her to be met with her eyes, filled with mixed emotions. He frowned; she was obviously hurting, and somehow he knew he couldn't ease the pain. She looked away and continued, "Please, go."

Kai Xing's looked as though he had been slapped. He hadn't expected her to tell him to leave. "Tsukiko. . ."

"She said go," Akatsuki snarled coldly. "So go."

Kai Xing sat there, hesitant, not wanting to leave even though he knew the battle was lost. She just seemed so fragile and vulnerable in his arms. But he also knew better than to give Akatsuki a reason to literally throw him out. So he gave in with a long sigh and unwound his arms from around Tsukiko. He stood up and hesitated, feeling a restricted feeling in his chest when she refused to look up and acknowledge him. He frowned and leaned down to gently press his lips to her forehead, lingering there for a moment, hoping for some kind of reaction. He didn't get one.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school," he whispered against her forehead softly, sadly.

Tsukiko didn't do anything; she didn't respond to his soft voice, react to his gentle kiss or dare to look up into his beautiful eyes. In her mind, she already knew what she'd have to do. She had already made up her mind. Why make it harder?

Kai Xing waited a moment for a response and felt a hard tug on his heart when he didn't get it. He stood back and lovingly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before letting his hand fall limply to his side, his last attempt for a response having not worked.

He left without another word, ignoring Akatsuki's cold glare.

Akimi wasn't even sitting before Tsukiko had thrown herself into her friend's arms and began crying her heart out. Akimi quickly returned the gesture, trying to calm her while whispering soothing, friendly words into her ear. Akatsuki quickly joined them, sitting beside his sister and began gently rubbing her back.

"Tsukiko, can you please tell me what's going on?" Akatsuki finally asked gently. "The way Li was speaking, I thought you were. . .I thought he. . ." he trailed off, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Tsukiko stopped crying and pulled away from Akimi slightly to wipe her tears away, feeling silly for the unnecessary tears that were spilt. She looked to Akatsuki, frowning. "He attacked you too?"

"Yes," Akatsuki answered bitterly. "He told me. . ."

"He told you. . .I was. . ._dead_?" Tsukiko's voice broke at the end. She watched him nod, and despite her mood, a small smile broke out over her lips. She shook her head. "No, no. . .He was far from killing me off. It's just. . ." her smile sank and her mood darkened once more. She sighed. "Kai Xing-kun was there and was put into danger because of me. Li. . .he'll hurt him, Akatsuki-kun! I know he will!"

Akimi took Tsukiko's trembling hand and gently squeezed it. "But that isn't your fault. You're both safe, and – "

"I don't want to involve him!" Tsukiko screamed angrily. "He shouldn't be involved in all this!"

"There's no need to yell at Akimi," Akatsuki told her sternly. "She's just pointing out the obvious."

"I don't ca. . !" Tsukiko suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened, and then narrowed on Akatsuki. "Wait, what did you call Akimi-chan, exactly?"

Both Akimi and Akatsuki turned a bright, glowing crimson colour as they looked at each other for help. They began talking quickly, stumbling over words and partial sentences.

Tsukiko's eyes narrowed. "Did you finally tell her then?"

Akatsuki blushed harder, "W-well. . ."

"Yes," Akimi said quietly, a peaceful smile across her face. "We confessed to each other."

Tsukiko smiled sincerely, even though she had to make an effort to put it there. She quickly felt the atmosphere around her shift; no longer was it dark and frustrating, but was happy and light hearted. The atmosphere around her best friend and brother was completely different to hers, and not wanting to intrude on it or ruin it, she stood up.

"I'm going to go lay down for a bit before dinner," she informed them, seeing their baffled looks. "The fight with Li really wore me out."

Akimi looked like she was about protest, but Akatsuki stopped her by shifting over to her and taking her hand into his. Akimi closed her gaped-open mouth and looked down at their hands, blushing slightly.

"Alright," Akatsuki nodded, picking up the desperation in Tsukiko's eyes to be alone. "I'll wake you when dinner's done then. It's my turn tonight."

Tsukiko nodded to him, grateful, and ran off up the stairs and to her room. On her way, she was sure she had heard Akimi ask Akatsuki what that was about, but didn't stop to hear his answer. She could already feel the waterworks resurfacing in her eyes as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She leaned her back against it and slid down toward the ground.

"_Oh, but he is," _she could still hear Xin tell her coldly. _"He's with you, and that makes him part of this."_

Her hands balled up angrily. Tsukiko knew what she'd have to do to protect him, to keep him safe. But she didn't want to. She wanted to be greedy and selfish, even though she knew she couldn't. She –

No, she had to protect him no matter how much it hurt. No matter how much she didn't want to.

She would have to leave him.

The dam broke down then. She buried her head into her knees and cried harder than before, letting her wails echo through the room.

XxXxXxX

Sakura stood in Tsukiko's doorway, smiling – no, beaming. She knew Akatsuki hadn't felt a change in Tsukiko's aura, but she had. She and Syaoran had the moment they walked into the house. It was burning brighter than before, and they had quickly put two and two together; Tsukiko had opened up the other half of her magic.

So Yelan had been right after all. It was Tsukiko who had opened up the other side of magic before Akatsuki. But now, it was only a matter of time before he too discovered the other side of magic.

The dried tears on Tsukiko's cheeks, however, made Sakura frown. Something had happened, but Akatsuki refused to tell her. Both him and Hamamoto-chan had only told her that Tsukiko had had a long day.

But Sakura was sure of one thing; everything was about to change for Tsukiko again. Whether it was for the better or worse though, she didn't know.

XxXxXxX

On their way to school the next morning, Akatsuki walked between Tsukiko and Akimi. His eyes were constantly flickering over to his sister to see how she was holding up, trying to catch a glimpse of any hint of her next plan. But she kept on a blank face, a simple mask that hid any clue of her emotions. Though he was sure he already knew the emotions she was hiding; anxiety, sorrow, worry, regret, confusion. . .

A small hand squeezed his, bringing him out of his thoughts and making him tear his gaze away from Tsukiko. Akimi's eyes met his own, trying to comfort him without words. She knew he was worried for Tsukiko, as was she, but she was also worried that Tsukiko would completely lose it if his hawk-like eyes kept glaring at her.

Akatsuki took the hint and smiled softly. He squeezed her hand back, silently thanking her. Then – with a small blush – he leaned down and brushed his lips across her forehead.

When they reached the school, none of them were surprised to see the violet-eyed Chinese boy leaning against the front tree, waiting. And even though Akatsuki had expected this, he couldn't help the low growl of anger that erupted from him. "Can't he just leave you alone?!"

"No, don't, Akatsuki-kun," Tsukiko begged softly, knowing he was going to go over and tell Kai Xing off. "I. . .I need to speak to him.

"You don't have to talk to him – "

"Yes, I do," she cut him off softly, giving him a stern but pleading look. "I have to speak to him." She paused and looked over to Akimi meaningfully, then back to Akatsuki. "You'd want to do the same if you were in my situation."

"Well, y-yeah," Akatsuki stammered, bright red. "But – "

"I won't tell him anything," Tsukiko promised in a small voice, more so to herself. "I'll just. . .lie. I'll tell him I don't want to be with him anymore. That I don't. . .don't have feelings for him anymore."

"Fine," Akatsuki grumbled, "but – "

Akimi sighed and gently squeezed his hand again, then began to pull him away from Tsukiko, toward the back entrance, ignoring his protests. "Let's go, Akatsuki-kun. She needs to speak to him _alone_." She smiled weakly at Tsukiko, "I'll bring him around the back and keep him away, don't worry."

Tsukiko nodded and watched them walk away with their hands entwined. They seemed to be arguing – well, Akatsuki seemed to be arguing with Akimi, but Akimi simply laughed it off. She leaned over to whisper something in his ear. He was reluctant, but he nodded and seemed to agree then kissed Akimi lightly on the cheek.

When the happy couple were out of sight, Tsukiko sighed and nervously strode over to Kai Xing, her hands folded nervously across her stomach. He held out his hand to her, an offer, silently asking her to take it, but she refused, making Kai Xing frown. He then knew something wasn't right.

She sighed again and looked down at her feet, refusing to look up at him. "I. . .We need to talk."

Kai Xing looked down at her with pain filled eyes. "You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?"

"I can't let you become involved in any of this. It's too dangerous," she simply told him in a quiet voice. Her gaze remained glued to the ground. "I won't let you get hurt on my account."

"Why?" He asked just as quietly, simply because he was human enough to ask. When she didn't answer, his frown deepened. He continued in a smaller voice, "Are you honestly worried that I'll get hurt? That it's too dangerous? I can take care of m – "

"Yes," she cut him off. "That's exactly my reasons."

He reached out for her hand, ignoring her flinch. She still didn't look up at him, but he spoke anyway. "Tsukiko, please. I can take care of myself. I want to. . ." His voice caught. "I want to protect you."

"No," she said sternly, blinking back her tears. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice level.

"Tsu – "

"No," she repeated a bit more forcefully. She tore her hand away from his, trying to keep her focus away from his hurt face. "We. . .I'm sorry. I can't. We're. . .We're over, Wang-kun."

"Tsukiko, this is silly," he said quickly, his hand itching for hers. He felt panic seize his heart, his body. She had gone back to calling him by his surname. "You don't have to. . .We don't have to. . ."

"I won't let Li hurt you," she told him quietly, scrunching up her hands into tight fists. They, too, longed for the warmth of his hands. "I have to. Wang-kun. . .I don't like you that way."

He opened his mouth to protest, hurt flooding his face, but no words came out. And before he could find his voice again, Tsukiko had turned to leave. She pushed past the stinging in her eyes and kept her voice steady. "Good-bye, Wang-kun. Gomen nasai."

And she was gone.

XxXxXxX

Their walk home was silent. Tsukiko hadn't spoken to either Akatsuki or Akimi for the day, nor had she even attempted to keep her mind busy with school work. Both Akatsuki and Akimi had given up by lunch, and had joined in with her glum mood.

"You should try speaking to her again," Akimi whispered to Akatsuki as they walked in front of Tsukiko. She glanced behind her to see Tsukiko lagging behind a few feet away. "She's really worrying me. It's like she's shut down."

"I'm worried too," Akatsuki sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. "But she won't listen."

"Just try," she pleaded.

He sighed again and looked behind them. The sight of her tore him apart. He gently let go of Akimi's and and dropped back to his sister.

"You did the right thing," he murmured. "You're protecting him."

"Like you care," she mumbled, not bothering to look up.

"Huh?" Akatsuki's eyebrows scrunched up together. "Why wouldn't I care about yo – ?"

"Not me. Him. Like you care if it keeps him safe," she continued half-heartily. "You hate him."

"I. . ." he trailed off and paused. Then he sighed and continued, "I don't _hate_ him. I just don't like him. Because of the way he looks at you. The way he cares for you. I know it's silly, Tsukiko, but it's my instinct as your brother. I can't help but not like him. But I do care, because you care."

Tsukiko frowned after a moment, letting the words sink in. "How does he look at me?"

Akatsuki also frowned, afraid of hurting her whether he told the truth or lied. If he told the truth, he was worried she'd realize just how much she gave up. But if he lied, he was worried that she'd take it the wrong way and think Kai Xing honestly didn't like her. But that wasn't his only reasons; Akatsuki also didn't want to admit to Tsukiko just how much adoration shone in his violet eyes whenever he looked at Tsukiko.

He sighed and opened his mouth to answer her, but stopped when he felt a familiar burning sensation between his groin and hip. He winced only slightly and looked over to Tsukiko who had also stopped, obviously feeling the presence as well. He saw her eyes burn with hatred as she balled up her shaking fists beside her.

"You and Akimi-chan get out of here," she ordered. "_Now_."

"What?!" He screamed as his eyes began scanning the area. He momentarily caught sight of Akimi up ahead, who had suddenly stopped and was eyeing them warily. "I'll get her out, but I'm not leaving you alone."

"This is my fight, Akatsuki-kun," she all but growled.

"But – "

"Look," her angered brown eyes turned to Akatsuki. "That. . ._bastard_. . .has ruined my life enough. Tearing up my family, killing my parents, making it too dangerous for me to even date Kai Xing, who is the nicest and sweetest boy I've ever met. . ." she sighed angrily. "This is my fight."

"And you don't think he hasn't ruined my life?" Akatsuki asked angrily. "Or did you forget that tid bit of information? He's ruined my life just as much as yours, Tsukiko. This is my fight too."

"No," Tsukiko repeated, growling, raising her voice. "It's my fight. Please, let me have this fight, alone, this once." When he refused to answer and pursed his lips together angrily, Tsukiko rolled her eyes. Her voice became softer, almost pleading. "Please, just a few minutes. Please. . ."

He seemed to debate this for a moment before giving in with a sigh. He reached out for her hand and squeezed it, "I'm coming back."

Akimi nervously called out to them as the wind began to pick up slightly. Akatsuki gave his sister one last look, silently hoping she'd change her mind, before running off to Akimi. He wrapped an arm around her protectively as she began to protest about leaving Tsukiko alone. He didn't listen though and continued to lead her away. Within a few moments they were no longer visible.

A cold laugh caught in the wind alerted Tsukiko, making a low growl escaping her throat. She turned around to face Xin once again.

XxXxXxX

Sakura stood in the centre of her kitchen, a loud gasp escaping her. Her cup of tea slipped out of her shaking hands and crashed to the ground, breaking. Her whole body shook.

"Sakura?" Syaoran called out in panic. He rushed into the kitchen to see her supporting herself up, clinging to the counter, her cup broken on the ground. A puddle of the hot tea seeped under the sharp pieces of broken cup. He rushed to her side and took her hands into his. "Sakura!"

"He's close," she moaned, closing her eyes. "Very close."

Syaoran quickly caught onto her meaning and suddenly felt his aura as well. Unconsciously, he grasped her hands tighter. "And the children?"

"I. . .I can't tell exactly," she whispered. She opened her panic-filled eyes. "They're in the area, but I can't tell where exactly."

Sakura hadn't even finished her sentence when Syaoran had ran out of the room, toward the entrance hall. Shaking, Sakura followed him. "Where are you. . ?"

"Where do you think I'm going?!" Syaoran asked, almost annoyed.

Sakura nodded. "Then I'm going with yo – "

"No!" Syaoran yelled, cutting her off harshly, making Sakura jump slightly. He sighed and closed his eye to calm himself, then drew in a deep, shaky breath. "I. . .I'm not ready for you to face Xin just yet, Sakura. Please."

"What?!" Sakura gasped, her eyes widening in anger. "Syaoran, our _children_ may be in trouble, and you won't even let me hel – ?!"

_knock, knock! knock!_

Both Sakura and Syaoran's heads snapped toward the door as the panicked knock filled their ears. Before Syaoran could stop her, Sakura had her hand on the doorknob. She yanked open the door.

"Akimi, _please_," Akatsuki begged on the doorstep, holding onto the girl's upper arm. "You'll be safest here."

"I can help!" She told him.

"No," he growled. "Never. I'm not letting you risk your life like that."

"But – !"

"Where's Tsukiko?" Syaoran cut in, his voice a dangerous tone.

Akatsuki turned away from Akimi to face his father. He sighed and turned away, ashamed. "With Xin, two blocks away."

"You left her alone?!" Syaoran demanded, outraged.

"She wouldn't let me stay!" Akatsuki's tone matched his.

Syaoran gave another, smaller growl as his son pulled the reluctant, protesting girl through the door. Typical Tsukiko, just as stubborn as Syaoran was himself. Akimi was still arguing with Akatsuki, wanting to go, but it was clear that Akatsuki wouldn't let her.

"Sakura, stay here with Hamamoto-chan," Syaoran ordered as he pulled Akatsuki through the door again.

"But – !" Both women began to protest at the same time.

"Sakura, please," Syaoran's voice was suddenly softer. He turned back and took her hands into his. He gave them a small squeeze, his eyes wide and begging. "Please, I. . .I don't want you to fight him. Not just yet, anyway."

Sakura searched his eyes for a moment, then sighed, giving in. "Next time, you can't make me stay back."

Syaoran also sighed, but out of relief. He tugged on Sakura's hands to pull her closer to him, brushing his lips across her forehead and then across her lips. He murmured against her lips, "I love you."

"Stay safe," Sakura whispered back. "Bring them both back to me. To us."

Syaoran nodded, then turned back to his son once more. Akatsuki was looking away, whether to give the two privacy or anxious about Tsukiko's safety though wasn't clear though.

"Let's go," Syaoran said, tugging on the charm around his neck to change it into Jian, catching Akatsuki's attention.

Akatsuki nodded and pulled off his Xu charm as he began to run, leading them to Tsukiko.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko turned to face Xin once again. He wore a smug, irritating smile, taunting her. Tsukiko felt her blood boil at the mere sight of him.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Xin smirked sarcastically. "Is the wittle giwl mad? Aww, poow wittle giwl!"

"Shut your face, Li!" Tsukiko growled. Oh, she knew he was egging her on. And it was working.

"Temper, temper," he tsked, then looked around. "Ah, and where is your brother? I was so looking forward to fighting him today. He's just so protective over that magicless girl, isn't he?"

"Leave Hamamoto Akimi out of this!" Tsukiko hissed, feeling her insides burn.

"Ahh," Xin sighed, then chuckled, "and apparently, so are you."

"This is between you and me!" She yelled. "No one else."

Xin smiled, obviously pleased. "Works for me."

He pulled out his sword and the fight began.

XxXxXxX

Koume was late leaving the school due to choir. She was walking across the yard, humming a new song to herself, when something caught her attention; a figure, leaning against the large sakura tree in the front. She frowned, easily recognizing the slumped-over boy. She stopped humming and rushed over to him.

"Wang-kun?" She began, confused. "Why haven't you left yet?"

He looked up at her, blushed softly, then looked away. "I was. . .I was waiting for Tsukiko to come out, but I suppose she's already left."

"Hai," Koume sighed. She had heard from Akimi what Tsukiko had had to do. "She usually leaves through the back way."

His face fell slightly, "Oh. . ."

Koume's heart tore at the sight of him. He just seemed so sad, so hurt. Her heart reached out for him. She gently rested her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him and ease some of the pain. He didn't react.

"Gomen nasai Wang-kun," she whispered. "She. . .Tsukiko-chan would never do this to hurt you. She just wants to protect – "

"But doesn't she get it?" Kai Xing shot back, his anger finally exploding. He immediately felt bad about lashing out on her, but continued. "_I_ want to protect _her_!"

Koume gave him a small, sad smile. "How? You saw how she must fight. Not with weapons, but with her own power. And Li uses the same technique. So _how_ could you help her? You would only be worrying her even more. And she would get hurt by trying to keep you out of harms way."

He didn't answer. He simply looked away.

"Now do you see the reasons behind her decision?" Koume asked softly. "It's not that she doesn't like you, Wang-kun. That isn't the case at all. It's that she cares for you _too_ much."

Kai Xing felt his eyes widen and his heartbeat pick up at the news, but he quickly composed himself to hide the emotion. He kept his eyes off of Koume. "But she has to understand – I worry. And since I. . .I _can't_ help her, I can't be with her when she's in trouble, I worry even more. And it's tearing me apart, not knowing if she's safe or not."

"Yes, I understand that," Koume sighed. "However. . ."

She suddenly stopped and turned her attention to the distance. Her eyes narrowed, concentrating. She had sworn she had felt magi. . .Yes! There is was again; her cousin's magic along with a darker aura.

She turned back to Kai Xing, who was looking at her with confusion, and put on a smile. "I am terribly sorry, Wang-kun. How rude of me! I forgot that my obaa-sama is coming to visit tonight. I'm supposed to be home helping to get ready."

She didn't wait for Kai Xing to answer before running off, trying to follow the auras she felt.

Kai Xing stood there, his eyes narrowed on the spot that Koume had disappeared from sight. A light breeze ruffled through his charcoal black hair, comforting him in an odd way. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"She's fighting again, isn't she?" He sighed and opened his eyes, peering up toward the sky. "Tsukiko. . ."

XxXxXxX

"Tsukiko!"

Tsukiko, panting, glanced over to the call of her name to see Koume rushing toward her, her staff in hand. Tsukiko shook her head, trying to tell her to stay away, but Koume didn't listen. In the corner of her eye, she saw bright flames flying toward her. She gave a small groan – she was growing extremely tired – and put her hands together.

_"Tsuchi Umou!"_

The earth moved at her will and shot up, creating a thick wall between the hot flames and herself. Koume skidded to a stop on her knees behind the wall just as the flames hit.

"Get out of here," Tsukiko growled. "This is my fight, dammit!"

"Revenge solves nothing," Koume said softly.

"Xin. . .Will. . .die," Tsukiko promised between clenched teeth, remembering every ounce of pain he had ever caused her.

Koume shook her head, "I never said that he wouldn't, Tsukiko-chan. Li must be defeated, yes, but not at the cost of your life. Alone, you yourself will die."

"I fought yesterday and lived."

Koume sighed, "I'm not leaving. I'm fighting with you."

Tsukiko opened her mouth to argue, but quickly closed it. She had run out of time to argue.

Koume smiled, realizing her victory. "I'll stay out of your way."

Tsukiko sighed and stood, her hands flying into position for a spell. But when she looked around, Xin was nowhere to be seen. It was only then that she realized that his presence, and the stinging in her breast, was gone.

"Dammit!" She growled angrily, scanning the area again. "I know he's here! He's hiding himself!"

"Are you sure?" Koume asked, also standing. "The only aura I feel beside yours is your father's and Akatsuki-kun's." When Tsukiko shot her a glance, she shrugged. "They're on their way."

"Dammit!" She repeated angrily. She had been so occupied with Xin that she didn't even realize the other two auras fast approaching. She could tell that they'd be joining her in a mere minute or two.

Her dirt-wall disappeared by her command. Her fists balled up. She screamed as hot tears began to sting her eyes, refusing to flow down her cheeks. "Coward! You damn coward! You – !"

"Tsukiko!" Her father called out in panic as her figure came into his view.

She turned to see him and Akatsuki running down the road, both already having their swords out.

"Tsukiko!" He called out again. "Stop egging him – !"

The painful prickling suddenly returned, making Tsukiko wince. She spun around to see Koume frozen from fear in her spot as the largest wall of flames Tsukiko had ever seen came hurdling toward them. She pushed Koume out of the way, knowing she was of no use, and took her stance. Her hands ready, her eyes narrowed, waiting. . .

"Mizu Um – !"

Suddenly, she was knocked back onto the ground with something – or someone – laying on top of her. The impact had been so sudden and unexpectant that it had knocked the wind out of her momentarily. She found herself gasping for breath as the flames danced above her, narrowly missing the other person's head. The person dug their head into her shoulder, the flames nearly grazing the top of his hair.

"Tsukiko!" Akatsuki called out from a distance.

The boy on top of her gave a small groan when the flames passed and lifted himself onto his forearms, removing his weight from Tsukiko. He gave a small, faint smile down to Tsukiko when he saw her wide-eyed shocked face.

"You. . .You. . ." she was trying to still catch her breath. "You _baka_! Idiot!"

His violet eyes danced with something – relief? – before he gave a small chuckle. "Only you think so."

Tsukiko didn't respond. She looked around to see Syaoran helping Koume to her feet, since when Tsukiko had pushed her away she had fallen. Akatsuki stood near Syaoran, his fingers wrapped tightly around Xù, his eyes narrowed on the boy holding his sister.

Kai Xing peered over to Akatsuki, his smile gone. He was completely serious now. "Can you handle that man without Tsukiko?"

Akatsuki growled, "Am I supposed to answer that?"

Kai Xing ignored him, "Can you?"

"Of course I can!"

Kai Xing nodded once, then helped Tsukiko to her feet. He held a firm grasp on her hand as he led her to the nearby large oak tree. Ignoring her protesting, he turned her so her back was pressed up against the tree so she couldn't see the raging on battle, so she faced him.

"What are you – ?"

"I need to ask you something," he told her calmly.

"Right now?!" She screamed, enraged.

"Right now," he nodded. When it looked as though she was going to walk away, back to the fight, Kai Xing grabbed her wrists to stop her. "I want to ask my last question, now."

Tsukiko's eyes widened in understanding. He was referring to their game of Twenty Questions. He had said he wanted to save his last question. "A-Are you crazy? Now? When Xin is – "

"I _have_ to ask it," he explained quietly, dropping her wrists. "I have to know your answer."

Tsukiko crossed her arms tightly across her chest and pursed her lips. She didn't like acting this way, this cold, toward him, but his timing was horrible. Her family was fighting without her. Fighting _her_ fight.

Kai Xing looked at her for a moment, many emotions swimming in his eyes. All for her. Only for her. He locked gazes with her and raised his hand to run the back of his fingers along her cheek softly, lovingly. A small smile spread across his lips when he felt her shudder, knowing it was from his simple touch.

"I want to know how you feel toward me," he explained softly, continuing to gently caress her cheek. "Li Tsukiko, I want to know if. . .if you love me."

Her eyes widened, then quickly stung with tears. The tears didn't waste time to trickle down her cheeks furiously, blurring her sight. She could no longer see his face through the thick, salty tears, only an outline, but she could still feel his thumb on her cheek. She could feel him lovingly wiping away her tears.

"Wh-wh-what sort of q-question is that?!" Tsukiko sobbed.

"Please," he begged softly. "Tsukiko, just answer me. Please. . ."

Her tears thickened, flowing faster down her face. It was a conflict, an inner battle; to tell or not to tell? She knew exactly how she felt toward him – she had felt the connection the first time meeting him in Hong Kong – and wanted to tell him. But at what cost? Endangering him? Losing his life?

"If. . .If you don't," he sounded hurt, making Tsukiko step out of her daze. "If you don't, I. . .I understand. I'll leave. Just please, tell me. I need to kn – "

"I love you." Her voice was barely audible, and she wasn't entirely sure if he had heard her since she still couldn't see his face. She lifted a hand and used the back of her wrist to wipe away the remaining tears in her eyes, then repeated herself more firmly. "I love you, so much. Too much."

A smile crossed Kai Xing's lips. "That's all I needed to know."

He placed his palm against her flushed, damp cheek and locked gazes with her again. Then, ever so tenderly, he leaned in to kiss her. It started out as a gentle kiss, but both teens were too hungry for more. Their desire was almost painful, and the innocent embrace quickly became much more heated.

Tsukiko threw her arms around his neck as he moved his hand to place both of his hands on her hips. He pulled her closer so she was flushed against his body, moving one hand to the small of her back to keep her in place while the other slowly slid to her nape. Tsukiko backed up, pulling him with her, until her back hit the tree again, needing the support. They both groaned when Kai Xing slid his tongue over her lips, gently asking for entrance, which she gave without a second thought.

When they finally had to pull apart for air, both were gasping for breath. Kai Xing leaned down to rest his forehead on hers and closed his eyes peacefully, his hands sliding back down to her hips.

"You will. . .explain. . .everything to me," he told her between breaths.

Tsukiko also closed her eyes and simply nodded, still too out of breath to give a proper answer.

It was too late to turn back now.

XxXxXxX

**Thanks to those who review!! Your words are taken into heart and I am extremely grateful for them. There were two in particular that made me smile and really kept pushing me on with this story. Especially the anonymous review by **_**hEiyzhEl...**_**that meant a lot to me, hun. Thank you so much. And each review is precious to me ^.^ So please sent them on in!!**

**Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. From here on out, there will be a lot going on in each chapter. **

**- Raina**


	31. Chapter 30: The Powerless

_**Chapter thirty: The Powerless**_

It was too late to turn back now. Her feelings for Kai Xing were too strong, and by some miracle, he seemed to return those feelings. It would hurt too much for her to leave him now.

Oh yes, she knew it was selfish. Unbelievably selfish. But she couldn't help it.

She loved him.

"I love you," Tsukiko repeated in a whisper, her eyes still closed, her forehead still pressed against his.

Kai Xing smiled. He murmured his love for her, returning the feelings, before leaning down once more to capture her lips again.

XxXxXxX

"Tadai – "

"They're home!" Akimi yelled before Syaoran could finish greeting themselves into the house.

Akatsuki gave a small chuckle as Akimi ran into the entrance hall. She seemed furious, making him chuckle again.

"What's so funny?" She demanded, stepping around Syaoran to face Akatsuki. She crossed her arms across her chest angrily. "I've been worried sick!"

"I told you they'd be alright," Sakura smiled, wandering over to her husband. Though in reality, though she had assured the girl that they'd be safe relentless times, she too had been worried for her family. She smiled up at Syaoran and he smiled back, then wrapped his arms around her to pull her close.

"I was still worried," Akimi mumbled, looking away from Akatsuki with a faint blush.

Akatsuki smiled, "There was no need to be."

"Still. . ."

Akatsuki reached for her hand and squeezed it, making her look up at him finally. "Thank you, but I don't want you to worry, especially when there's no need to."

Akimi forced a small smile and leaned into his warmth, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She felt his lips press against the top of her head.

Sakura smiled at the couple – Tomoyo would get a kick out of finding a new couple to go ga-ga over – but frowned when she saw the closed door. She looked up at Syaoran, "Where's Tsuki-chan?"

Syaoran also frowned, but not from worry. From anger. From wanting to protect his daughter.

When that boy and her had finally reappeared from behind the tree, and he had seen the dried tears staining Tsukiko's cheeks, he almost lose it. The first thought that went through his mind was that the boy had hurt her, even though they were hand in hand. He was ready to kill the boy, but Tsukiko had stopped him when she saw Akatsuki's face – lined with the same anger as Syaoran's – and had promptly corrected them both.

"She's out back with that stupid Chinese gaki," Syaoran grumbled.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed into a scowl toward Syaoran. Though it looked as though she was trying to hold back her laughter as she gently pulled away from him. "_What_ was that you just called him, Syaoran dear?"

"Chinese gaki," Syaoran repeated firmly. When Sakura raised an eyebrow, he became defensive. "Well he is!"

She scoffed, "You are such a hypocrite, you know that?"

Akimi and Akatsuki exchanged a confused glance, though Akatsuki was grinning widely. Oh, he definitely liked the name Syaoran had given Kai Xing. It may have even been better than the whole 'Wrong' name.

"But he is!" Syaoran continued to argue.

"Did you like Onii-chan calling you that?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

"He. . .W-well. . .That was different!" He finally settled on. "She's my daughter!"

"And I was his baby sister," Sakura countered, reminding him smugly.

There was a small pause before Syaoran mumbled in defeat, "It's still different."

Sakura sighed. "Over-protective hypocrite."

Akatsuki gave a small chuckle, receiving a glare from Akimi. He definitely liked the boy's new name, and made a mental note to remember and use it.

"Chinese gaki," he chuckled under his breath.

Akimi lightly smacked his arm, scolding him. Akatsuki rubbed his arm playfully, still grinning. A small smile crossed her own lips at this point as she saw how happy Akatsuki was. And she couldn't help but hope that Tsukiko would get her happy ending as well.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko looked down at her lap, where Kai Xing's hands were holding hers. She could feel his intense gaze on her, trying to figure out what to say. She had already finished her explanation to him – without interruption – and yet, as the silence dragged on, he still said nothing.

"So," She sighed, not looking up from their hands as she broke the silence. "Now you know everything from the very beginning."

After a moment, and after taking a deep breath to calm himself, Kai Xing finally spoke up. Though his voice was small and strained, trying to remain calm. "He's a murderer," he stated.

Tsukiko slowly nodded. She could still feel his smouldering gaze but still didn't look up. "Hai."

"He wants. . ." his jaw tensed, but his voice remained level. He was finding it difficult to remain calm and collected. "He wants to. . .to kill. . .you."

Tsukiko closed her eyes and sighed, "Hai."

"I won't let him," Kai Xing vowed quietly. He squeezed her hands. "I won't let him. We'll run away and move to England. Or America. We'll hide! I won't let him hurt yo – "

"I can't leave," Tsukiko finally looked up and shook her head, a small sad smile across her lips. "My family is here, Kai Xing-kun. I can't leave them here, alone. Not when he's after my brother, too."

Kai Xing pulled one hand away from her and placed his palm against her cheek. "I won't let him hurt you, Tsukiko. I promise."

"Kai. . ."

"No," he stopped her protesting. "He can't. He. . .He won't."

"This has been going on for month – no, _years_. Ever since I was born," she told him softly. "I know what I'm up against, and I can handle it. But you. . ." she sighed sadly and closed her eyes, leaning her face into his hand. "It's not a game. It's not some heroine movie, where he'll kidnap you and use you as my weakness. He's past that point. _He will kill you_."

"I can take care of myself," he told her once more.

"That's just it," she sighed again, opening her eyes. "You can't. Xin's powerful. Deadly."

"But I – "

"No, shh," she pressed a finger to his lips. "I told you everything, just like you wanted. Now I want you to stay out of this, you hear me?"

Kai Xing sighed loudly, frustrated, and closed his eyes to think. He wanted to help her. He wanted to protect her. But in the back of his mind, he knew she was right. This Li Xin was powerful, had magic. And Kai Xing didn't. It was that simple.

But them he remembered seeing something earlier. Something that could help him. Something that could help them.

His eyes opened, a new light shining in them. "I need to speak to your father."

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko watched her father and Kai Xing walk down the hall, into the indoor dojo. The door closed behind them, concealing Kai Xing's fate in Tsukiko's mind.

Sakura stood by her daughter, smiling. "He won't hurt Wang-kun, Tsuki-chan."

Tsukiko froze, embarrassed that that was exactly what she had been thinking. "Err, yeah. I know. Gomen."

Sakura gave a soft, quiet laugh. So predictable; how many times had young Sakura worried about Touya killing Syaoran?

Tsukiko turned her attention back to the door. She strained to hear their conversation, even though she knew the attempt was futile. Because, you see, Syaoran had made sure that particular room was built sound-proof.

XxXxXxX

Syaoran led Kai Xing into the dojo, knowing that no one would be able to eavesdrop while they spoke. Not that he cared, but the boy seemed so serious. Syaoran wasn't so sure if he wanted to let Tsukiko hear if it was that bad, wanting to protect her.

He closed the door behind him and turned to the boy. "Tsukiko's told you everything then? About Xin and what he wants? Her past? Everything?"

"Yes, sir," Kai Xing nodded politely, standing up straight.

Syaoran frowned. His voice became gruff. "Then what is you want from me? I'm sure that, by now, Tsukiko wouldn't keep anything from you. I'm sure you could ask her anything and she'd answer you."

"It's not information I want," Kai Xing explained. Syaoran lifted and eyebrow, waiting. Kai Xing's voice suddenly became strong and confident, unmoving. Daring, even. "I can't stand to watch Tsukiko fight, sir. I want to help her and protect her in any way I can."

"You can't," Syaoran said coldly, almost daring him to continue. "I'm sure she's explained that as well."

"Yes, she did," he admitted grimly.

"Then what do you wa – ?"

Suddenly, Kai Xing was bowing as low as he could. Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise as the boy bowed so low, pleading with him and yet showing respect. For once, Syaoran was at a loss of words for him.

"Li-sama, please, I beg you," Kai Xing spoke strongly, his hands balled up nervously at his sides. "Please teach me how to use the sword to protect Tsukiko."

"You don't know what you're getting into here, boy," Syaoran told him sternly, finding his voice again.

"No disrespect, but I think I do, sir," Kai Xing told him, standing back up straight. "And even if I don't understand completely, I still want to do this. Because the only thing that matters is that I'm ale to protect the most important thing to me."

There was a long pause following his bold statement. Kai Xing suddenly worried over the silence, worried that he had upset the head Li. But then, before he could apologize, Syaoran slowly smiled.

"Maybe you're not so wrong for my daughter after all," he told him sincerely, seeing the boy's eyes light up with his approval. His smile fell then, and his face became serious once more. "But that doesn't mean I won't have my eyes on you, Wang."

"Is that a yes? You'll teach me how to use the sword, Li-sama?" Kai Xing asked hopefully.

Syaoran nodded with an amused sigh. "Come back after school tomorrow, and we'll begin then."

Kai Xing gave a second low bow, "Doomo arigatou gozaimasu!"

"Just take care of her," Syaoran grumbled. "Keep her safe, and I don't just mean from Xin. She can handle herself in that department."

Kai Xing nodded once, understanding the father's warning. He meant that Kai Xing had better not hurt her himself, physically or emotionally. "Yes, sir. I understand."

Syaoran gave a small approving grunt, then went to open the door for them.

As soon as the door opened, Tsukiko jumped off the wall she had been leaning against and ran down the hall to them. She stopped in front of Kai Xing as Syaoran kept on walking toward Sakura. She gave him a quick look-over and sighed in relief.

Kai Xing gave a small laugh, "You honestly thought he'd hurt me?"

Tsukiko blushed softly, but didn't answer. She frowned up at him and met his gaze. "What were you talking about?"

Kai Xing's smile fell, suddenly nervous again. "Now, don't get mad, alright? I just want to be able to protect you."

"But you can't. . ." she trailed off as she picked up her parents conversation near by. Her eyes widened in shock at what she was hearing.

"Of course I can. It's not that difficult," Tsukiko could almost hear the smile, the pride, in Sakura's voice. "How do you want it to look?"

"The blade should be as long as Xù, but I want it finer like Long. Blade curved slightly, like a katana. His hands are smaller than Akatsuki as well, so the hilt will have to be smaller. Light, but sharp. And of course, he doesn't have any powers, so you'll need to be creative in a way to get it to change from a pendant to a sword," Syaoran said with a small chuckle. "After all, he can't exactly go around with a sword on his hip or in his hand all the time."

Tsukiko's eyes were as wide as they could go, then narrowed dangerously. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't! Swords fighting?!"

"Please don't be angry," Kai Xing pled. "But I can't sit by, useless, and watch you fight. I need to be able to protect you when I can."

"But – !"

"Please understand," he continued. "Put yourself in my shoes, Tsuki."

Tsukiko searched his eyes for a moment, then sighed in defeat. She knew he was trying to soften her up with the cute shortening of her name, and it worked. She closed her eyes, "If you. . .get hurt, I swear to God I'll never forgive myself."

"I won't," he promised softly. He pulled her into his arms and cradled her head against his chest, then buried his nose into her hair and rubbed her back gently. "But I refuse to lose you again."

"You won't," she promised as well, mumbling into his chest.

Kai Xing smiled and opened his mouth to speak when Syaoran's loud, booming voice stopped him.

"Oi! Not so close in my house!" He screamed angrily.

The two jumped apart, taken by surprise, with Tsukiko glowing bright red. Sakura gave a small, soft laugh as she patted her husband's arm.

"Over-protective hypocrite," she repeated. She saw the two teens exchange a confused glance. She smiled, "It's getting late, Wang-kun. You're welcome to stay for dinner. Hamamoto-chan is."

"No, I have to get home, but thank you Ying Fa-sama," he said politely.

"I-I'll walk you to the door," Tsukiko offered quietly, leading him down the hall and past her parents to the entrance way.

Kai Xing opened the door, but paused when he was one step onto the porch to turn and face Tsukiko. He smiled, trying to ease the worried expression in her face.

"I'll be alright," he told her softly.

Tsukiko looked away, "I just don't want you to get hurt."

He chuckled softly then held out his arms. Tsukiko looked up and took his offer. She stepped onto the porch as well and let herself fall into his arms, her head falling between his shoulder and chest. His arms wrapped around her and held her close.

He kissed the crown of her head. "It'll be alright, my little yue hua. There's no need to worry."

Tsukiko closed her eyes with a defeated sigh, then slowly frowned. She pulled away, confused. "Yue hua?"

Kai Xing blushed slightly, though it was hardly noticeable, and gave a nervous smile. "It's Mandarin. I-I guess I'll. . .umm, have to teach you the language. Uh, yeah, I guess."

Tsukiko cocked her head to the side curiously. "What's it mean?"

His blush became a bit more noticeable. Tsukiko had to stifle a smile at the colour in his cheeks. He struggled not to look away. "M-Moon lily."

"Oh?" Tsukiko felt a large, glowing smile inch across her face. The name echoed in her mind. It was just so sweet and loving. How could her heart not skip a beat when he said it? Her smile just kept on growing, "How did you come up with that?"

This time he really did have to look away to stop his blush from spreading. "I. . .I came up with it the night you left. Wh-when we first met, and I took you to the lake, you just seemed so. . .happy. Just sitting there, under the moon by the water. And lilies are the most beautiful flower, so I. . .err, never mind. I'm sorry. I can't really explain it. Corny, huh?"

"No," Tsukiko whispered quickly, shaking her head. She leaned toward him and stood on her tip-toes to brush her lips with his. She smiled, "It's very sweet. But," she winked, "you're right."

"Huh?"

She gave a small giggled, "Looks like you will have to teach me Mandarin. Darn, and I'm taking it in school and all. Guess it's not really teaching me much."

"Yes," he paused and smiled, his blush almost completely gone. "We can start your lessons now."

Tsukiko smiled softly but shook her head, "Didn't you have to get home?"

"This is a quick lesson," he promised. He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close. He lowered his mouth to her ear, his warm breath trickling down her neck. "Wo ai ni."

Tsukiko felt her breath catch as she felt the warm air hit her cooled skin. She had to stop herself from shuddering in pleasure. "And what does that mean?"

Kai Xing smiled, "I love you."

And before Tsukiko could respond, Kai Xing pulled his head away from her ear to lean down and kiss her tenderly once more.

XxXxXxX

"I hate this," Akatsuki grumbled as the three of them – him, Tsukiko and Kai Xing – made their way from the school to the Li house. He was sulking at the fact that Kai Xing was going home with them while Akimi, whom he did have a date planned with, had to put their plans on hold until later that evening.

"That's just too bad," Tsukiko said childishly, holding on tighter to Kai Xing's hand. "You're just going to have to put up with it."

Akatsuki didn't answer. He just made sure to stay well in front of the two love birds.

When they got home, both Sakura and Syaoran were waiting for the three in the back. Syaoran stood tall, his face hard – in training mode – with his hands behind his back. Sakura stood with a new gleaming sword in her hands. The blade itself was longer than her arm, and the hilt was navy blue and silver. Dangling from the hilt was a small silver crescent moon, embedded with the kanji for 'love' – ai – from a navy blue leather string. It was a narrow hilt, made perfectly for his firm grasp.

Sakura walked over to Kai Xing and handed him the new weapon. Tsukiko hesitantly stepped back, letting go of his hand, to let him take the sword. She didn't like the how it looked in his hands. She didn't like how _any_ weapon looked in his hands.

"We'll start off with a fight firstly," Syaoran explained in a strong, professional tone. "I need to see how much you can handle right away, and we'll go from there. We'll also all take turns fighting you. And I do mean _all_."

"No," Tsukiko said firmly between clenched teeth. "I won't fight him."

"Yes, you will, Tsukiko," Syaoran told her just as firmly. His smouldering amber gaze met with her identical gaze. He sighed, "It's for his own good. If he can fight you, who he. . .has feelings for. . .then he'll be able to fight anyone."

"No," Tsukiko repeated.

"Tsu – "

"Maybe not right away, Syaoran," Sakura suggested, trying to ease the sudden tension. "At least not until she knows he's safe."

"Fine," Syaoran sighed in frustration. His less smouldering gaze turned to his son next. "Akatsuki?"

"Nani?!" Both Tsukiko and Akatsuki demanded at the same time, though for different reasons. One for worry, the other for anticipation.

"Are you crazy?!" Tsukiko yelled, half hysterical. "He'll kill him, otou-san!"

Akatsuki chuckled, "I think that's the whole point."

Tsukiko glared at him, boring daggers.

"Syaoran," Sakura whispered in his ear. "Do you really think this is such a good idea?"

"Akatsuki hasn't practised much. He's still new to it," Syaoran shrugged. "Better than fighting me."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Yes, but I've seen him during practice. He's clearly gotten your skills."

A proud smile crossed his lips, "Tsukiko's pretty good too. She's only practised with me twice, but I'd say she's nearly as good as Akatsuki. She'll probably exceed him in that, eventually."

"The point is," she continued, "Akatsuki-kun _will_ hurt Wang-kun. Maybe I should figh – "

"No, this is good," he explained quickly. "Akatsuki's feelings for the boy won't let him go easy on him. And I need an accurate assessment on where to start with him."

"But he's never even held a sword before!" Sakura hissed defensively.

Syaoran merely shrugged. Sakura sighed and walked over to Tsukiko, who was chewing her bottom lip off nervously. Sakura forced a smile. "He'll be fine."

"He'd better be," Tsukiko growled, her eyes narrowed on Akatsuki's smug smile. "Or else I'll kill Akatsuki-kun."

Sakura gave a small laugh, then turned her attention to the two boys already in their fighting stances, holding their blades tightly in their hands.

"I won't go easy on you," Akatsuki promised with a smug smile.

"Never imagined that you would," Kai Xing answered honestly, trying his best to smile politely.

When the two boys threw themselves at each other, Tsukiko had to muffle a scream of protest. But after a bit, her worry disappeared and turned into awe. Kai Xing seemed to have no problem holding his own, though he never attacked. He simply kept blocking Akatsuki's attack each time with his own blade.

After nearly ten minutes had passed and the fight was still going on with no end in sight, neither showing any sign of weakness, Tsukiko had to pry herself away to answer the front door, having heard it ring. When she returned with Akimi in tow, the fight had been stopped by Syaoran. Both boys were bent over, their hands resting on their knees as they panted furiously.

"Amazing defence," Syaoran praised Kai Xing, obviously surprised and impressed.

Kai Xing, still hunched over, turned his head to face Syaoran and smiled in appreciation. "Arigatou gozaimasu. I took martial arts growing up, so I was using some blocks from that."

Syaoran nodded approvingly. "Yes, that makes sense for knowing how to block but not attack. Good strategy, though."

Akatsuki stood back up, still panting, so he could push back his sweat bangs. A smile crossed his lips as he caught sight of Akimi and turned his sword back into the pendant, then threw it around his neck and jogged over to her.

"You ready?" She asked with her own smile.

He nodded, "Just let me go change."

He rushed past her into the house and up the stairs. After all, he was still in his school uniform.

Tsukiko ran over to Kai Xing, beaming. "That was amazing!"

"He still has a long way to go," Syaoran told her, but looking at Kai Xing. "He still can't get very far with mere blocks."

Tsukiko frowned and mumbled to herself, "_I_ thought he held his ground fairly well against Akatsuki-kun."

Syaoran, hearing this, gave a small chuckle. "Yes, he did." He turned to Kai Xing. "I'll see you the same time tomorrow."

Tsukiko smiled brightly at her father's praise.

"Hai, Li-sama," Kai Xing gave a small polite bow. When he stood again, he held out his hand to Tsukiko, which she gladly took. He smiled gratefully to Syaoran. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

Syaoran smiled, nodding.

Akatsuki came back and, ignoring the boy and his sister, took Akimi's hand to lead her out of the house. Once outside, he wrapped his arm around her waist to pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

XxXxXxX

"That's really sweet of Wang-kun to learn how to use a sword to protect Tsukiko-chan," Akimi commented as she and Akatsuki left the café they had had dinner at. "It shows how much he cares for her, ne?"

"I can protect you," Akatsuki mumbled.

Akimi giggled, hearing the resentment and jealousy in his voice. He was apparently still bitter that Kai Xing had been able to hold his own so well. Suddenly, she got an idea. Her smile widened as she pulled away form his warm arm and jumped in front of him.

"Teach _me_ how to use a sword!" She asked him, excitement shining in her eyes.

Akatsuki stopped in his tracks, panic taking over his body. Was she serious? But then a smug smile spread across his lips. "You can't learn how to use a sword!"

"Oh, and why not?" Akimi asked with a raised eyebrow and smirked. "Too scared a girl may be better than you, Akatsuki?"

Akatsuki's smile widened, loving that she had decided to drop the suffix in his name. But it quickly disappeared when her words actually got through to him, his face going blank. Then suddenly, his face lit up again and he smiled. He pulled off the pendant from around his neck and let the small pendant glow, turning it into his long, gleaming sword. He held it up, twirled the hilt around in his hand easily, then held it out, the tip pointing toward Akimi.

"If you're so sure of yourself," Akatsuki told her with a smirk, "come here."

Akimi paused, a small shy smile slowly spreading across her lips before she walked over to him. She held out her hand, waiting for him to give her the sword. With a small smile, Akatsuki handed the hilt of the sword to her, and almost laughed when she took it and nearly collapsed. As soon as the sword was in her hands, the tip fell to the ground and Akimi struggled to pick it back up, failing.

"Here," he said, trying hard not to laugh as she tried desperately to get it off the ground. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Then he took her hands into his, and helped her lift the blade again. "Shall we try again?"

Akimi giggled and nodded, as Akatsuki slowly helped her swing the blade from one side to the other. She could almost _feel _his smile on her. She knew that he wasn't really teaching her anything, it wasn't really a swords-practice. How could it be when they were just swinging the blade back and forth? But she didn't complain. It felt nice just being close to him like this.

"You don't need to learn how to use a sword," Akatsuki whispered into her ear finally. He smiled when he felt her shudder, and knew it was because she could feel his breath along her skin. "I'll be here to protect you. You won't ever need to know how to protect yourself."

Akimi frowned. "And what about you? How am I going to protect you."

Akatsuki chuckled, "Simple — You won't ever need to."

Akimi's frown deepened. She leaned her head back on his shoulder so she could look up at him. He looked down at her and leaned down to brush his lips with hers, though it did nothing to rid the frown on her lips.

"I still want to learn," Akimi whispered.

Akatsuki shook his head with a sigh. His voice became a bit harder, sterner. "No. There's no reason for you to — "

"I _want_ to," Akimi told him sternly, still whispering.

"No," Akatsuki said, unmoving.

Akimi sighed. She had lost the battle. . .for now. She knew they'd someday, probably soon, come back to the conversation. She couldn't always be protected by Akatsuki. He needed to be protected, too. And she couldn't stand standing there, watching him fight. Feeling useless. Not being able to help.

But for now, the topic of her learning how to use a sword was done.

She smiled softly and leaned up to brush her lips with his again. After a moment, Akatsuki — also realizing that the talk over her swords fighting was done — kissed her back. In an instant, the kiss went from an innocent, small peck to a much more passionate kiss.

At the same time, they dropped the sword onto the ground so that Akimi could turn around in his arms. He grabbed onto her waist to pull her close as she began moving her lips faster against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, teasingly playing with his thick, brown hair.

After a few minutes, they pulled away for air. Akatsuki closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her, then leaned down to rest his forehead on hers while still trying to catch his breath.

"No swords," he whispered huskily. "You don't ever need to fight."

Akimi didn't answer; she didn't want to promise him something she knew she'd never keep.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko changed into her pajamas — the usual; a tank top and cotton pajama bottoms — and crawled into her bed. The sheets had been washed today, making them feel soft and fluffy. She cuddled into them and buried her nose in the comforter, deeply inhaling the sweet smell of the laundry soap; lilacs.

She turned over onto her side to go to sleep when her gaze caught her cell phone laying on her nightstand, glowing, still on. She reached over to turn it off, but changed her mind and browsed through her contact list. She clicked a name, blushing softly, and held the phone to her ear as it began to ring.

"Moshi moshi, Xing residence."

Tsukiko smiled to herself. Even just hearing his voice made her heart flutter. "Good evening, Kai-kun."

Kai Xing gave a small chuckle, loving the abbreviation of his name that she had made. "Hey, Tsuki. What's up?"

"Just wondering how you are," Tsukiko gave a small chuckle. "Gomen. Otou-san takes sword fighting very seriously, but I think he took it harder on you than he does with me or Akatsuki-kun."

Kai Xing laughed softly. "Makes sense. He just wants to make sure that I'll be able to protect his little girl."

Tsukiko blushed, hard. "I. . .I can take care of myself, Kai Xing-kun."

Kai Xing ignored her comment. "And I have to make up for not having magic _somehow_."

"Honestly, I can — "

"I know," he whispered softly. "But I want to be able to protect you. Just let me have that, please, Tsukiko."

And Tsukiko couldn't protest, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't help but be worried; what if he was hurt? What if he ever fought Xin. . .and lost? She shivered; the thought was too grim. Too horrific. It would never happen on her watch.

She tried to change the subject. "So how are you then? I know there's no broken bones, but like I said, I swear that otou-san was harder on you than my brother or I."

Kai Xing laughed softly again. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Tsukiko asked, obviously doubtful.

She could almost hear his smirk. "Well, a few bruises. And some sore muscles, but nothing too serious. Nothing I can't handle, and definitely nothing I'm going to complain about."

Tsukiko bit her lip. "I think Akatsuki-kun took too much pleasure in fighting with you."

Kai Xing laughed harder. "Probably."

"I don't understand why he doesn't like you," Tsukiko mumbled. "From what I understand, it was because of you that he finally moved his fat bottom into admitting his feelings to Akimi-chan."

"Yes, true, but," Kai Xing brought his voice down to a whisper. "I'm taking away something he hasn't had for long, Tsuki. I'm taking away his sister."

Tsukiko blushed. "You're not talking me away, though, Kai-kun. I'm still here."

Kai Xing sighed, "Never mind." The was a short pause, and then another small chuckle. "Tsuki, yue hua, it's should really sleep."

Tsukiko blushed harder when he used her nickname; _moon lily. _"Uhh, yeah. Umm. . .I guess I should."

"Oyasumi," He whispered softly.

Tsukiko smiled, "Oyasumi, Kai-kun."

"I love you," he whispered even softer.

"Wo ai ni," she whispered back, closing her eyes as she turned bright red, smiling to herself. She could almost hear his smile as she said the Chinese words. The added softy, "So much."

"Wo ai ni," he repeated softly as well, then hung up.

Tsukiko hung up the phone and turned it off, then set it on her nightstand again. She snuggled under the covers, sighing at their warmth as she brought them up to her neck. She closed her eyes, the smile still on her face, and she drifted off into the night.

That was the first night that she had her last nightmare.

No faces. No light. Just darkness. Pitch, black darkness. Screams and cries filled the air; though it was different from before. This dream was very clearly not a memory. Tsukiko wasn't sure if she was supposed to be dead or not in it.

_Why? _She heard her own voice echo quietly. _Why is this happening?!_

And then, another voice. A softer, pleading voice broke through it all. "I've come to warn you. Please. . . "

But when Tsukiko woke the next morning, she remembered nothing. Not the cries or the screams or the dark. And especially not the pleading female voice. She didn't recall having a nightmare at all.

All Tsukiko knew was that she was still tired, as if she hadn't slept right, and couldn't understand why.

* * *

**MAJOR spoilers at the end there ^.- That last part there is very important for the ending, which is slowly approaching LOL**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO'S REVIEWED!!!!! They mean a lot to me ^.^ So thanks so much!! I love them all. I apologize for any grammar/spelling errors. I hope there isn't too many if any this time.**

**Please leave a few words in a review; Did you like it? Or did the chapter suck? **

**~ Raina**


	32. Chapter 31: Odd Dreams and Low Attacks

_**Chapter thirty-one: Odd Dreams and Low Attacks**_

Tsukiko's hands flew down onto her blanket and tightly grasped the material, turning her knuckles white. Sweat poured over her body. Her breath came in rough and raspy. She thrashed around in her sleep violently.

"_I've come to warn you," the voice repeated. "I've come to warn you, please."_

"_From what?" The dream-Tsukiko demanded. Her voice echoed in the empty darkness. "Warn me from what?!"_

"_I've come to warn you," the voice merely kept repeating. "Please. . .I've come to warn you. To warn you. . ."_

"From what?!" Tsukiko screamed in her sleep. "Tell me, warn me from what?!"

Akatsuki opened the door to the bathroom to hear his sister's screams. He rushed down the hall and threw her door open to see Kero floating above her head, desperately trying to wake her. Akatsuki rushed to her side.

"What's going on?" He demanded angrily. "What's wrong with her?"

Kero shook his head. "I don't know! She just started screaming."

Tsukiko kept screaming and thrashing around, twisting the blankets around her like a rope. Akatsuki grabbed onto her shoulders, but her legs kept kicking. He shook her violently, trying to wake her. "Tsukiko! Oi, Tsukiko! Wake up. C'mon, dammit, wake up! _Wake up_!"

Tsukiko's eyes shot open with one final scream. Her eyes were wide and panicked at first, but quickly calmed. Her breathing returned to normal as she looked around, confused. Her eyes caught sight of Akatsuki, his eyes wide with worry. She frowned.

"Aka. . .Akatsuki-kun?" She asked tiredly. She sat up slowly, but Akatsuki kept his hands on her shoulders. Both her frown and confusion deepened. "What are you doing in here?"

He also frowned, "You were screaming, Tsukiko. You were having a nightmare."

Tsukiko became even more confused. Sure, for the past two weeks she had been feeling tired when she woke, but nightmares? Wouldn't she have remembered that? She shook her head, "No I wasn't."

Kero, still floating in the air, also shook his head, "But you were, Kid."

"But I don't remember having any dreams at all."

Akatsuki frowned, angry. "Stop screwing around, Tsu – "

"I'm not!" She yelled back, irritated. Her eyes immediately softened. She looked down at her lap. "I honestly don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Akatsuki sighed in frustration and slid his hands off her shoulders.

The two other pairs of eyes in the doorway watched the teens and small yellow guardian worriedly and curiously.

"What do you think is happening?" The woman asked her husband. "What do you think she saw?"

"I don't know," he answered with a sigh. "We'll just have to keep a closer on on her, on both of them."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki stood in the kitchen, peeling a carrot while grumbling to himself. He could hear Tsukiko and her 'Chinese gaki' whispering and giggling close by, but he tried desperately to ignore them.

He was miffed. It was Sunday evening and his parents had decided to have a huge dinner with their friends; the Daidoujis, Kai Xing and Akimi. Except that Akimi couldn't come. Her parents were out of town for the next week, and she had been told that while they were out of town she was to stay home. She was instructed to go to school and come straight home so that, in case they need to get a hold of her, they can. And so now, Akatsuki was stuck making dinner with his sister and her damn boyfriend being all lovey-dovey.

After he was unable to tune them out any longer, he slammed the peeler down and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Aka. . ." Tsukiko began, confused as to why he left the kitchen in such a huff.

Kai Xing looked over to where he had left and sighed. "Just leave him, Tsuki."

Tsukiko also sighed, then went back to her job of chopping cabbage. "You think he'll ever get over it?"

The violet-eyed boy chuckled softly, "I doubt it. He really does not like me."

"Don't know why," Tsukiko mumbled.

"Haven't we already discussed this?" Kai Xing asked smugly as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He turned to kiss her cheek then rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm a threat. He thinks he's losing you to me."

Tsukiko rolled her eyes, "Baka."

Kai Xing gave a small chuckle and turned to gently kiss her cheek again when Akatsuki stormed back into the kitchen. He eyed the two for a moment, mentally sick at how close he was to her, and waited for them to pull apart. When they did, he went back to peeling carrots angrily.

"I thought you left?" Tsukiko asked, a bit irritated.

"I did," he grumbled. "But okaa-san, Tomoyo-san and Koume-chan are talking about clothes, and otou-san is with Eriol in the back, talking about. . ."

He suddenly stopped in both mid-sentence and mid-action, the peeler for the carrot freezing halfway down the orange vegetable. The peeler then slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor as his eyes clouded over, making him appear lifeless.

The crash caught Tsukiko's attention. She looked over to him, worried. She made a motion to move toward him, but Kai Xing grabbed onto her shoulder and pulled her back. All she could do was watch, shaking, as Akatsuki stared at nothing.

After a moment, his eyes widened in horror and he snapped out of his daze. His panic filled eyes shot toward Tsukiko, and in that split second, Tsukiko understood what had happened. Her eyes widened as well, "What did you see?"

He didn't answer. "Where's Akimi?"

Tsukiko felt her heart stop. What had he seen?! She felt herself shaking more. "H-Home, of course."

He cursed loudly and tore out of the kitchen. Tsukiko called out to him and pulled away from Kai Xing to run after him. He didn't bother to grab his coat before yanking open the door and rushing outside. Tsukiko followed him out to the porch. It was pouring rain and lightening constantly lit the dark sky.

"Akatsu – !" She called out, ready to run after her, but large hand grabbed onto her wrist and stopped her. She looked back to see her father's stern gaze locked with her own, his strong hand holding onto her.

"Stay here," he told her sternly.

"But. . .Akatsuki-kun saw something," she tried to explain between panicked breaths. "A-And Akimi-chan. . ."

"You'll stay here," Syaoran repeated firmly. "It's too dangerous."

Tsukiko's eyes widened as Kai Xing made his way to her side and wrapped an arm around her, trying to comfort her. "D-Demo, Atatsuki-kun. . !"

Sakura came up behind Syaoran, her eyes slightly clouded over. She had seen it, too. She rested her hand on her husband's shoulder, which her took into his hand, and looked out to where Akatsuki had disappeared into the rain.

"He'll be alright," Sakura said quietly, calmly. "I know he'll be alright."

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki pulled his phone out roughly from his pocket, ignoring the clashing lightening above him. He pressed down speed-number three and put the phone up to his ear as he ran through the heavy cold rain.

"C'mon, dammit! Pick up!" He growled angrily into the phone. "Pick up the phone, dammit!"

The phone on the other line continued to ring, taunting him.

_One ring. . .Two rings. . ._

XxXxXxX

Akimi turned off the water and stepped out of the shower onto the soft mat, feeling refreshed. She grabbed a fluffy red towel off the rack and wrapped it tightly around herself, then took the second towel and wrapped it around her head.

She opened the bathroom door, letting the steam flood out into the cool hall, and shuddered at the change in temperature. Once in her room, she closed the door and pulled the towel off her head to roughly towel-dry her hair. When she was done, she went over to her dresser to grab a clean pair of pajamas; worn in grey sweatpants and a red tank-top.

She had just slipped on her housecoat over her pajamas when the phone rang.

_One ring. . ._

She rushed over to the phone on her nightstand but stubbed her toe on her bed. She gave a small gasp of pain.

_Two rings. . ._

She fell onto her bed, cradling her hurt toe as she reached for the phone.

"M-Moshi moshi, Hamamoto residence." She said a bit breathlessly, still in pain and still a bit chilly.

"Akimi! Akimi, are you alright?!"

Akatsuki's panicked voice made Akimi giggle lightly. So worried over the smallest things. "I only stubbed my toe, Akatsuki. I'm fine."

"Not what I meant," Akatsuki growled, making Akimi frown. She heard him sigh heavily. "Are you alone?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Listen to me and listen to me carefully," he ordered her quickly. "Lock all the doors and windows. Close the blinds. Don't answer the door unless you know for certain it's me. Do you understand?"

Akimi felt a wave of panic take over her body. Her grip on the phone tightened drastically. "Why? What's going on?"

"Just do as I say, please," Akatsuki begged as thunder clashed again. The lights in Akimi's house flickered, stilling her heart for a moment out of fear. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

The line went dead.

Akimi held the phone for a moment, then, shaking, hung it back up. She slipped off her housecoat, still cold but suddenly numb, and rushed around the house to make sure all the doors and windows were locked. She drew all the blinds and even went to the extent of turning off all the lights except for a lamp by the couch. When she was done, she sat on the couch with her knees cradled close to her chest, dazed. Panic flowed through her body as Akatsuki's panicked voice repeated itself in her mind. Her heart accelerated, ready to explode.

She all but jumped out of her skin when a loud knock came from the door. She remained still, not breathing, as the person knocked again, louder. By a third time, her shaking legs stood her up and forced her to the door. Her hand was floating above the doorknob when she remembered what Akatsuki had told her; _Don't answer the door unless you know for certain it's me._

"A-Akatsuki?" She asked.

"Open the door!" The male voice demanded.

And she did, realizing her stupidity too late.

The next thing Akimi knew, she was flown across the room. Her back hit the end table, knocking a fine glass vase over on top of her head. The vase shattered, spilling cold water over her head and shoulders. The shard bits fell around her, leaving the smallest of cuts along her cheeks, shoulders and arms.

She cried out in pain and shock, hot tears prickling her eyes. The cuts didn't hurt, but her head did from the combination of the impact of the table and the vase.

A cold snickering alerted Akimi that she was indeed not alone. Her eyes flew open in a panic. She was met by Li Xin's dark eyes peering down at her. He stood in front of her, his sword out, the tip of it's blade inches from her neck. Her breathing stopped.

"That was just too easy," Xin smirked. "I thought my plan was ruined when I felt young Akatsuki's aura coming here, but it seems that I've beat him. Ooh, lucky me."

"Wh. . .Wh. . ." Akimi tried to say, but she was still too shocked to speak. The cold water from the vase wasn't helping, as it was numbing her to the bones.

"Why?" Xin finished for the girl. "It is taking far too long to kill these two children. I need to speed things up. Egg them on. And you, my dear girl, are very precious to the both of them. Though I have to say, I am sorry." When the girl gave him a confused look, he continued with a smirk. "My original plan was to simply capture you and use you as bait, but since that boy is now coming. . ."

Akimi's eyes widened as she realized what he was telling her. Her voice squeaked, "Y-You're going to k-k-kill me?"

"Oh, don't worry," Xin smirked smugly. "You won't be alone for long."

He raised his sword, ready to strike. Akimi closed her eyes, preparing herself for the pain.

Suddenly, she was engulfed in coldness and felt heavy. She felt her body fall to the ground as a final whimper left her mouth. _So this is what it's like to die. . ._

XxXxXxX

"Why? What's going on?" Akimi's panicked voice shook through the phone.

"Just do as I say, please," Akatsuki pled. Suddenly, thunder rolled through the air and lightening split the sky. He mentally growled, knowing the rain was slowing him down. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Before she could answer, he hung up the phone and shoved it back into his pocket. Then he yanked off the pendant from his neck and turned it into his sword.

It was raining even harder now than when he had left the house. The sky was as dark as night. But none of that mattered to him. All Akatsuki could focus on was the dreadful presence he sensed. He couldn't tell Xin's pinpoint location, but he knew he was in Akimi's area. That thought along left his body cold.

It took him less than fifteen minutes to get to Akimi's house, and right away he knew he was too late. His heart nearly stopped beating at the sight before him.

The front door was cracked open slightly, and Xin's presence was suddenly very powerful. He could hear Xin's maniac laughter and Akimi pleading. The sounds both angered him and tore his heart apart.

"Y-You're going to k-k-kill me?" Came Akimi's voice, turning Akatsuki's blood cold.

"Oh, don't worry," Xin reassured her. "You won't be alone for long."

_NO! _"Akimi!"

He pushed open the door and ran into the living room unnoticed. The sight her saw churned his stomach. Akimi sat on the floor, small cuts along her fair skin and soaking wet. Her eyes were closed, defeated, as Xin held up his sword, ready to strike.

Akatsuki felt a low growl leave his chest as he rushed over to her shaking figure. He sprung up into Xin's line of fire and pushed Akimi down onto the ground with his body, not caring that he was cold and soaking wet. She whimpered. Akatsuki let out a small grunt of pain himself as Xin's blade grazed his upper arm.

He pushed himself up onto his knees, becoming a barrier between Akimi and Xin, glaring at Xin coldly. He tightened his sword in his hands. "Kaze Ryuujin!"

Before Xin could take in Akatsuki's presence, he was thrust across the room into the opposite wall.

He didn't even realized what he had done.

Akatsuki turned back to Akimi to see her shaking, looking up at him with wide eyes. Her lips pulled apart as if she was struggling to say something, then quickly shut.

"Get up," he pleaded. "C'mon, get up! Please!"

She began to cut to her feet, but still shaking and taking too long. Akatsuki grabbed her arm and hulled her up, then pulled her along beside him toward the close by main floor bathroom. Both shuddered at hearing Xin's cold laughter echo against the house walls, taunting them as they entered the small room.

He pulled her into the bathroom, his emerald eyes burning with rage. "Lock the door and stay in here."

"But. . ."

Akatsuki turned briefly to Akimi to see her eyes glistening with tears. His own eyes softened toward her, but only a bit. He leaned toward her and lovingly brushed his lips across her forehead.

"I'll come back," he promised softly. "Just wait for me to come get you."

"Stay safe," she whispered back before Akatsuki pulled away from her and left.

When he was gone, Akimi locked the door with trembling fingers. It took her a bit to slide the small cylinder of gold-painted metal into the hole on the door frame, but she managed. When that was complete, she realized she needed to sit before she collapsed. Not seeing anything to sit on besides the toilet-seat or floor, she crawled into the raised claw-footed tub and drew the shower curtain. She knew it wouldn't keep her safe if Xin broke into the room, but she felt safer like that. Then she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

She could hear the ragging battle going on outside the protection of the bathroom. She could hear Xin's wicked cold laughter and Akatsuki screaming profanities. She could hear things crashing and banging against the floor and walls. But she couldn't tell who was winning.

Finally, at what seemed like an eternity, all the noise ceased at once. As if someone had suddenly pressed pause on a remote. And after a moment, she could hear footsteps cautiously approaching the door, her protection.

She heard the doorknob jiggled as someone tried to get in. Akimi held her breath, vaguely aware of her name being called by the person on the other side, but the voice was foggy in her mind. She couldn't understand. The person repeated themselves and jiggled the doorknob more violently, more frantically.

She knew the lock wouldn't hold; the house was old and the lock was a small piece of metal. And lone and behold, within a few short moments, she heard the door swing open. She closed her eyes as she saw the dark shadow through the shower curtain approach her. She heard a loud sigh as the curtain was thrown back. She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Why didn't you answer the door?!" Akatsuki's angered voice demanded from her.

Akimi's eyes opened, her racing heart slowing down. She looked up to see anger still flaming in his eyes, but she could only sit there, shaking. Her mouth gaped over, trying to speak, but she couldn't find her voice. Akatsuki's eyes softened. He sighed and then crawled into the tub with her. He knelt down in front of her and gently wiped away the lone tear rolling down her cheek with his thumb.

"Shh. . ." he cooed softly. "It's alright. You're safe. It's alright. . .It's alright. . ."

She didn't answer. Instead she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. After only a quick graze, she pulled away and looked into his eyes. He easily met her gaze before sliding his hand from her cheek down to her chin and pulled her face to his again to kiss her more passionately.

When they finally pulled away, both gasping greedily for air, Akimi moved onto her knees and began grazing her lips over any part of his face she could reach; his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his eyelids.

"Are you okay?" She asked between kisses. "Are you hurt?"

Akatsuki gave a small, relieved chuckle. "I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."

She pulled back and opened her mouth to answer, to tell him she was okay, when something glistening caught her eye on his arm. She gave a loud gasp, her eyes growing wide. "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing," he shook his head, frowning. "And so are you."

"Not nearly as much as you are," she bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying again – after all, she blamed herself for his wound – and reached out to the red spot bleeding onto his sopping-wet shirt. As soon as her fingers came in contact with the cut, he flinched and hissed through clenched teeth in pain.

She frowned and pulled away, then stood up and held out her hands. "Come on, I need to clean it up."

He nodded to this took her hands, letting her pull him up to his feet. Keeping his hand in hers, Akimi led him out of the tub and sat him down on the lid of the toilet. She moved to the sink beside him and placed a clean cloth under the running water. Lastly, she grabbed a small first-aid kit from the cabinet under the sink then returned to Akatsuki. She knelt beside him, setting herself in front of his wounded arm, and frowned at the rich red stain on his long-sleeved shirt. She realized that if she rolled up the shirt, it'd only hurt him more since the wound was closer to his shoulder than his elbow.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered, not meeting his gaze from embarrassment.

Akatsuki hesitated, lifting an eyebrow questionably. He could see a tinge of pink in her cheeks. But she seemed serious, so he pulled off his shirt and dropped it onto the floor between the sink and toilet.

He felt himself blush furiously when he heard her sharp intake of breath as she stared at his bare chest, her eyes scanning the twenty or so small scars all along his torso. The scars ranged from faint to very noticeable and were every shape scars could be; jagged, lines, circles. . .

"What happened?" She choked out.

Akatsuki shrugged, pushing down his blush. "Growing up." When she frowned up at him, he gave a small sheepish yet comforting smile. "The orphanage is a rough place to grow up, especially when you're the odd one out."

Akimi's frown deepened, but she dropped the subject. She sat up on her knees and held his elbow so she could keep him arm steady then began to gently clean his cut with the cloth. She felt and saw him flinch, but only tightened her grasp on his elbow and tried to soften her touch even more, mumbling an apology.

Akatsuki bit his lower lip, almost drawing blood, to prevent himself from screaming. He didn't want Akimi to know that her gentle touch felt like a sharp blade, not wanting to worry her even more. But the pain only worsened, almost becoming unbearable, when some hydrogen peroxide onto the cloth and dabbed his cut with it, trying to sterilize the wound.

"I'm sorry," Akimi said sincerely, looking up at his face. "I know it stings."

"I'm fine," he said between clenched teeth, swallowing the tears.

Akimi sighed and pulled the cloth back, then pulled out some gauze and bandage-wrappings from the first-aid kit. Her attention went back to his arm.

"You know," she mumbled, placing the gauze onto the still bleeding wound then began wrapping the bandage firmly around his arm, around the gauze and wound. "You don't always have to be so tough. If it hurts, it doesn't mean you're weak. It only means you're human. Please, don't try and hide it and stay strong and tough anymore." She finished by using medical-tape to keep the bandage closed, then looked back up at him. "At least, not in front of me, alright?"

Akatsuki gave her a weak smile, his heart and love for her swelling, and offered her his hand. She took it willingly, then he pulled her up to her feet and pulled her into his lap. With a sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder and began lightly tracing a two-inch long scar along his chest.

"One day," she mumbled softly, "you'll have to tell me the story behind each one of these."

Akatsuki grimaced, then sighed and closed his eyes. He leaned down to rest his cheek on top of her head, cradling her. "If you want. . ."

Akimi smiled triumphantly, them moved her head to press a soft kiss above the scar she had been tracing. "I love you."

Akatsuki smiled warmly and gently kissed the top of her head, "And I love you." Then he frowned and reached up to twist a piece of her hair between his fingers. He felt her shiver against his body. "You're going to get sick."

"So are you," she returned, sitting up and looking at his soaking wet hair. Then realized his pants were still soaked as well. "You should change. I'll get you something from my father and dry your clothes."

Akatsuki sighed, more so worried about her than himself, and shifted her off his lap. "Take a shower to clean your own cuts. They're small, but I'd still like to see them clean. And you might want to change as well."

Akimi felt herself panic for a moment as he turned to leave. Her hand shot out to stop him. It worked; he paused and turned around to see her eyes wide. "D-Don't leave me, please."

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. His voice was low and comforting. "I'm not going anywhere tonight," he brushed his lips against hers. "You clean up while I'll set up the couch and dry my clothes."

"No!" She said quickly. "I-I can take the couch. You're the guest, so take the bedroo – "

"I don't think so," Akatsuki chuckled. "The couch pulls out, right? I'll be fine."

And before she could protest, Akatsuki was out the door. He closed the door behind him and found a laundry basket in the hall. He pulled out a pair of shorts from her father, grimacing, and went to the laundry room to throw his pants and boxers into the drier.

Akimi stared at the closed door for a moment, then with a sigh she shed her clothes and turned on the shower once more.

XxXxXxX

Akatsuki sighed loudly as he threw down an extra pillow and crawled into the pulled out couch-bed. The mattress was thin and he could feel all the metal springs beneath him, but it'd serve it's purpose. As long as he could be in the house, close to Akimi, he couldn't care less how uncomfortable he was.

He had blow-dried his hair earlier while Akimi changed after her shower, then watched her with a love-sick smile as she dried her own hair a few minutes after. He was now also changed back into his own boxers and pants, having them dried just before he had tucked Akimi into bed moments before.

He knew that tomorrow he'd make all proper measures and arrangements. He'd walk her to school, stopping at their house to grab his uniform and school things. While he was there, he'd speak to his parents about placing barriers around Akimi's house, at least until her parents were back. Though he knew that even with the charms around her house, he'd stay with her for the rest of the week. The thought of leaving her alone, even with the barriers, repulsed him.

And then, of course, they'd have to stay at her place. It's what her parents had told her; to go to school and come straight home. And to make sure she wasn't out with her friends, they'd be calling every night. So the two would have to pretend everything was normal. Therefore, Akimi would just have to stay at her house, with Akatsuki, of course, to answer their calls.

Akatsuki pulled up the think blanket and rested his head on the pillow with a sigh, then closed his eyes for sleep. He wasn't even in bed for five minutes when he head Akimi shuffling down the stairs.

He sat up and turned his body to see Akimi as red as a tomato standing in the doorway, holding a pillow close to her chest.

"S-Sorry," she stumbled, holding her pillow closer. "Umm. . .I didn't mean to wake you."

Akatsuki smiled, "I wasn't sleeping yet. What's wrong?"

Akimi looked down, away from him, "I. . .I know it's silly because you're right here and all, but I. . .umm. . .I. . ."

Akatsuki frowned, understanding. "You're scared?"

She nodded, blushing harder if possible. "So. . .So I was wondering if I, umm. . .If I could sl-sleep with. . .w-with you?" Her voice squeaked at the end.

Akatsuki blushed softly himself, though it went unnoticed compared to Akimi's. He nodded and shifted over to make room for her. She made her way over to the side of the bed and gently placed her pillow by the edge, the crawled under the blanket and kept a healthy distance between her and Akatsuki.

Akatsuki waited for her to move over closer, and when she didn't, he sighed and did it himself. He shifted over and wrapped his arm behind her neck around her shoulder. He felt her hesitate as he pulled her close, but she quickly settled into his embrace. She moved her head to his shoulder and rolled over to she could place her arm on his torso. He hadn't bothered to dry his shirt, since it was stained with blood, leaving him with a bare chest. She took this chance to trace his scars again. When he shuddered, she smiled to herself and continued.

After a moment, he closed his eyes to enjoy her touch and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "Kami-sama, I love you."

Akimi's smile widened. She turned her head to press her own lips to his jawbone, "And I love you."

Akimi sighed and closed her eyes. She entwined their fingers together, then brought his hand up to her lips and gently kissed the back of his hand, then rested their still entwined hands on his torso.

"I love you," she whispered, a bit more groggy this time.

"Always," he chuckled softly, hearing the tiredness in her voice. He pressed a final kiss onto her shoulder before drifting off to sleep, but not before mumbling lovingly one last time, "_Always_."

XxXxXxX

Li Xia Lin stood in her bedroom, clutching the thin stick in her hand tightly. Her other hand was clasped over her mouth to stop herself from screaming as she fell to her knees. Tears brimmed her eyes and her whole body shook violently as her eyes remained frozen on the tiny oval screen on the stick.

_**Positive**_.

XxXxXxX

**A/N **- Sorry everyone...I had this ready to go yesterday but fanfic kept saying there was an error every time I tried to upload the chapter. Sorry.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! My email was down for some stupid reason, so I couldn't thank some of you properly :( sorry...but here!! Thank you all so much to:

_Saicy, hEiyzhEl, misstruthfully, Suyi, and GoldenDragon326_

And thanks to _CheeseyCraziness _for editing!! Thanks hun, you're the best ^.^

Please leave a review!!

~ Rai


	33. Chapter 32: Li Xia Lin

**Chapter thirty-two: Li Xia Lin**

"_I have to tell you. . .I must tell you. . ." _The voice floated into Sakura's dreams. She began to stir, and Syaoran quickly woke up beside her.

He knew better than to interrupt her dreams though, and when she finally opened her eyes, she was already in his embrace. He raised one thick brow curiously, and Sakura understood what he was asking.

"A voice," Sakura said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Kind of like mine. . .but more anguished. . .like she's in torment. . .She's not me though. . ." Her eyes went wide. "But I'm still hearing it!"

"You're awake," Syaoran said quietly as he stroked her back gently, the way he knew would calm her down. "That means. . ."

". . .It's someone else's dream. Someone nearby. . ." Sakura finished.

"But do you want to wake up the twins right now?" Syaoran asked as he pressed his lips to her nape tenderly.

"No. . .I just. . ." she trailed off, already having an idea which child was having the dream.

"Go back to sleep, my darling," Syaoran said soothingly. "You might find out more that way. How close is the woman with that voice?"

Sakura sighed. "Very close. And. . .very afraid."

XxXxXxX

Xia Lin wrung her hands nervously as she stood out in the hall beside the living room, listening to the person inside slowly turning the page of his newspaper. Two suitcases sat beside her, props adding to her act. She counted to five in her head, then pulled her hands apart and stepped into the room.

"Xin," she began, pausing in the centre of the room. "Xin, hun, I'm leaving now."

Xin looked up from his paper and frowned. He folded it and laid it beside him on the couch, then stood up to approach her. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are you sure I can't come? I only just got back from my. . .business trip yesterday." He was amorous and playful, and it was like the man who had struck her in frustration just the other day had vanished. As if nothing had happened. But she remembered. . .

"_Xin! Welcome home!" Xia Lin opened the door and hugged Xin, kissing him cheerfully. Perhaps he might change his mind if he knew she was having their baby at last._

_But she found herself on the floor. Xin had lashed out at her, and she touched her eye where he'd struck it._

"_Go to your room. Don't bother me, stupid bitch!" He'd spat as Xia Lin curled into herself from the pain._

_Business trip. _She reminded herself not to scoff and merely smiled. "It's just my sister visiting, so I don't think so. She has some kind of art show in the city and I told her I'd come see it. I'll only be gone a few days. Chi Lin and I haven't seen each other for years."

Xin sighed, "Alright then. I'll see you soon, I suppose."

Xia Lin smiled and stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "Xiè-xiè (Thank you)."

She turned to leave, grabbing her purse and suitcases on the way, when his voice stopped her cold.

"Keep your phone on," he warned her. Xia Lin turned her head to see him standing in the living room doorway, an odd and unfamiliar glint in his eyes. "Tokyo can be a dangerous place. Don't stray by yourself too much."

Xia Lin swallowed a shudder and forced her best smile. "Of course, Xin. Xiè-xiè (Thank you)."

With his dark eyes still burned into her mind, she rushed out the front door.

_Not my Xin, _her mind repeated over and over. _He's not my Xin._

And she was going to get her Xin back. No matter what it took.

XxXxXxX

The three girls in the group of teens giggled as they dodged the cold misting rain and rushed toward the cafe across the street. Tsukiko and Koume had their hoods up and were pressed into each side of Kai Xing, who held them protectively under his arms as he tried to keep them warm, urging them through the rain. Not far in front of them ran Akimi and Akatsuki, their arms around each other.

Once inside, Akatsuki shook his head like a dog, sprinkling the girls with drops of water; they continued to giggle.

"It's only rain," Tsukiko imitated her brother from before. "We're not made of sugar, and the cafe is only six blocks away. We won't melt! It'll be fine!"

Everyone laughed, including Akatsuki.

"Well we _**are **_fine, aren't we?" He said when everyone calmed down.

Akimi rolled her eyes, "Baka."

Akatsuki smiled at her and pulled her close to him once more. He bent down and brushed his lips against hers, then followed the rest of the group to a booth by a window. Akimi slid along one side of the booth and Akatsuki slid in beside her while the other three took the opposite side with Kai Xing in the middle.

"What can I get'cha, huns?" a waitress who came by their table asked.

Although the question was directed to the group, the young waitress's eyes were were only for Akatsuki. He didn't seem to notice, though; he was chatting away with Akimi and Koume. The woman gawked at all she could see, as he had shrugged off his wet coat.

"Um, yeah. . .We'll have five hot-chocolate supremes," Tsukiko finally said, irritated and annoyed. How dare she look at her brother that way?! And while he was obviously with someone; he had his arm around Akimi for crying out loud! "And a slice of chocolate torte."

The woman forced her gaze away from the boy to look at Tsukiko. She frowned as Tsukiko raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed tightly against her chest, and scribbled down the order on her notepad.

"I'll have a berry parfait, please?" Koume interrupted, turning away from her conversation. She smiled sweetly.

"And two slices of lemon meringue," Akatsuki added, remembering Akimi's favourite.

The woman nodded with pursed lips, her eyes on Akatsuki's arm slung over Akimi's shoulders. Akimi looked over and, seeing the waitress' eyes narrow at their embrace, smiled sweetly. The woman tinged pink upon being caught, and spun on her heels to put in the order.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Akatsuki couldn't restrain his laughter anymore and Akimi quickly joined in.

"Kami-sama, did you see the way she was looking at you?" Akimi managed between laughs.

"She can't help it," Akatsuki smirked, getting his own laughter under control. "No one can resist my charms."

That earned him a slap on the arm from Akimi and a soft scoff from Tsukiko, "Arrogant jerk."

Akatsuki turned to Akimi when he heard his sister's words and frowned playfully. "Aw, you don't agree with her, do you, Aki-chan?"

Akimi's cheeks flushed as she rolled her eyes, trying to act like it didn't affect her. That in itself elicited another laughing fit from the rest of the group.

It didn't take long for their orders to come to the table, and no one hesitated before digging in. Kai Xing let Tsukiko eat the first mouthful of the torte they shared. She closed her eyes, savouring the sweet chocolate, and made a 'yummm!' noise. Kai Xing chuckled and placed another morsel on his fork to offer her another bite. Tsukiko turned it down and picked up her own fork to dig in.

However, it didn't take long for Tsukiko to realize that Kai Xing wasn't eating at all. Instead, he was eyeing something almost warily. Frowning, she followed his gaze to a beautiful woman sitting across the room from them, her light auburn hair pinned up elegantly. She sipped her tea slowly, watching their table as well.

Tsukiko frowned and turned back to Kai Xing, "Douka shita no?"

Kai Xing snapped back to Tsukiko, though his frown remained. "It's probably nothing. I'm just being paranoid. Except that. . ."

"Nani?" Akatsuki invited himself into the conversation. His eyes were stern and his mouth was a tight line. He hated having to ask the Chinese boy what was wrong.

"Except that," Kai Xing continued, "she hasn't once looked away from us."

"Maybe she's not looking at us," Koume offered lightly with a small shrug. "We are, after all, sitting beside the window. Perhaps she's just looking outside."

"Maybe. . ." Kai Xing sighed, continuing to frown. He let Tsukiko feed him a mouthful of torte and forced a smile for her.

The group's talk began again, revolving around school and homework, though it wasn't long before Kai Xing cast his gaze to the woman's table again, only to find her gone.

"Umm. . .E-Excuse me."

Kai Xing's eyes shot up to see the woman he'd been watching approaching them, nervously wringing her hands. She stopped a few steps by their table. Four other pairs of eyes also shot up to watch her. Her large emerald eyes looked over at Akatsuki worriedly.

"By, umm. . .By any chance would you happen to be L-Li Xiao Lang's son?"

Akatsuki's eyebrows furrowed as he felt Akimi slip her hand into his nervously. Across from him, Tsukiko stiffened. That voice! She'd heard that voice before. . .but where?

"I am Li Akatsuki, son of Xiao Lang," he nodded warily, then looked over to Tsukiko and gave a small nod for indication. "And this is my sister, Tsukiko."

The woman nodded jerkily, obviously worried or nervous about something. "Yes. Yes of course. I was, er. . .W-Wondering if I could perhaps speak with you two? I-If possible?"

Akatsuki nodded and gently patted Akimi's hand to silently ask her to let go. He pulled away from her and by the time he got out of the booth, Tsukiko was already standing. Her eyes were wide and frantic. The woman turned back to her table, expecting the two to follow. Akatsuki went to follow, but Tsukiko's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Are you crazy?!" She demanded in a harsh whisper. This whole thing was usually the other way around – it was usually Akatsuki telling Tsukiko not to go. She wasn't used to the turn of events. "Don't you find it kind of odd that she knows who our father is?"

Akatsuki frowned, also realizing the turn of events. His voice went low but was much gentler than hers, "And aren't you curious as to why she looks so much like our mother? Or have you not noticed the similarities?"

Tsukiko frowned and loosened her grip on his wrist; she had noticed the similarities. The eyes – though they appeared to have been dulled recently – were the same green as Sakura's, only a bit smaller in size. And though her hair seemed shorter, cut into a bob that ended at just above her shoulders, it was the exact same shade as Sakura's. Even her body shape was similar—petite and fragile-looking. Like Sakura, she had an elegant oval face, and long graceful fingers. It was eerily like looking at a younger version of their mother.

Akatsuki felt Tsukiko's grip loosen and gently pried himself away from her to follow the woman to her table. She was already sitting again, waiting for them. Tsukiko threw one last glance at their friends and gave them a weak reassuring smile before following her brother. Akatsuki gave her the second seat at the two-chaired table, sitting across the woman. He stood behind her chair, his hands resting on the white metal frame.

"How do you know the Lis?" Akatsuki asked, getting right down to business.

The woman looked away, "I. . .I want to start off by apologizing, on behalf of my husband. No, you two deserve much, much more than an apology, but unfortunately, it's all I have to give. I know nothing can ever heal the damage he's done to you both, but I hope my apology will prove to you two how very different my husband and I are."

Akatsuki frowned, "And who's your husband, umm. . ?"

"Xia Lin. Li Xia Lin." She took a deep breath and turned back to the twins. Tsukiko's wide eyes told her that she already understood. "I am the wife of Li Xin."

Tsukiko's eyes widened in disbelief even more, but before she could say anything, Akatsuki had yanked her out of her seat and threw her behind him protectively. When he took a stance in front of her and narrowed his eyes, full of loathing, on the woman, Tsukiko felt her anger bubble. Did he still think she couldn't take care of herself?! That she was helpless?!

"Please, sit down," Tsukiko heard Xia Lin plead quietly, begging them.

She glanced over to their table to see Kai Xing standing, his eyes on Akatsuki's sudden protective position. His eyes then met hers, and she forced a small smile. _Sit down, _she mouthed to him. After a moment of holding her gaze, he sighed heavily and hesitantly sat back down, letting Tsukiko turn back to the situation before her.

"Stay away from us," Akatsuki growled.

"Akatsuki," Tsukiko began firmly, resting a hand on his shoulder. She had dropped the suffix in his name nearly a month ago – she figured that since he had stopped being so formal with her, she could do the same since they were siblings and all. "Maybe we should listen. She seems honestly so – "

"She's playing us," he growled, not letting his eyes stray from the terrified and hurt looking woman. "It's a trap."

"I. . .I'm not too sure it is," Tsukiko whispered truthfully, eyeing Xia Lin. Was that a bruise on her neck? The woman just seemed so vulnerable, and her green eyes were almost pleading with Tsukiko to listen and trust her. Trust her that it wasn't a trap.

"Please. . .I have to tell you. . ." Xia Lin pleaded.

That voice! It was the voice from her dreams!

And suddenly, Tsukiko very suddenly did want to trust her. She very much wanted to listen to her, to reach out for her. To protect her from whatever she was running from.

"Aka – " Tsukiko began, hoping to reassure him that it was safe.

He cut her off by suddenly whipping around. His angry eyes burned as he grabbed her arm roughly and began leading her back to their table, "We're leaving. Now."

"No! Stop! I-I think we should listen to her!" Tsukiko tried to pull away, but his grasp was too tight. It almost hurt. "Akatsuki, stop it!"

They stopped at their table, where Kai Xing was already standing again. Akatsuki practically threw Tsukiko over to him. She stumbled, losing her footing, and landed into Kai Xing's arms, where he held her tightly, though not in a way that would hurt her.

"Don't let her back over there," Akatsuki ordered him. "We're leaving."

"Don't. . .Wait, no! Akatsuki, listen to me for God's sake!" Tsukiko pled angrily. "Listen to me!"

Akatsuki ignored her and reached out for Akimi's hand. He began leading Kai Xing and his sister toward the door as Koume reached into her purse for the money for their meal. She went to run and catch up, but as she reached the door she glanced back at the so-called dangerous woman.

She was still seated in her chair with her shoulders hunched over and her face in her hands. Her body shook as she quietly cried over her lost battle.

"K. . .Kai-kun. . ." Tsukiko whispered quickly. "You have to find out who she is. You must. Please!" Her eyes were brimming with tears of anger and frustration.

Kai Xing cast one look backwards, then at Akatsuki's back. "Your brother. . ."

"She's no danger to us," Tsukiko said. "In fact I think she's the one in danger. She's married to Xin!" Kai Xing's eyes widened at the revelation. "Just please find out what she wanted to say to me and to Akatsuki! Please. . .for me," she pleaded.

Kai Xing looked deep into Tsukiko's eyes, and realized she badly needed him to do as she said.

"Okay, yue hua." With a quick kiss dropped on her lips, Kai Xing slowed down his pace, then faded out of sight.

XxXxXxX

Kai Xing re-entered the cafe and looked around. The woman who so looked like Tsukiko's mother was still there, and she looked so broken, so much in despair that he slid into the seat across her and said softly, "Hey."

She looked up quickly, and Kai Xing gasped. Her tears had removed her eye makeup, and she had a black eye forming on her right eye.

"Who. . ." Kai Xing was horrified. He'd never seen an abused woman in his life; his parents loved each other, and the marriages he knew were loving.

Xia Lin shook her head. "That's not important. . .that girl. . .Tsukiko. . .do you. . ." She watched Kai Xing's face, and answered her own question. "You love her."

"Completely," Kai Xing said quietly.

"Listen to me!" Xia Lin grabbed Kai Xing's hands. "He's going to kill them! He hasn't given up! You have to tell her parents!" Her voice was rising hysterically, and Kai Xing realized the other patrons of the cafe were staring.

"Ma'am," he said softly, "please, come with me." He dropped some money on the table to pay for Xia Lin's tea, then led her to a small park nearby. She was crying and clutching her belly convulsively, murmuring, "I can't let him, not with our baby on the way, I have to get him back, for our baby. . ."

Kai Xing quickly realized the poor woman was on the verge of a breakdown, and guided her to a park bench. "Please, Li-san," he said quietly, "tell me what you needed to tell Li-kun and Tsukiko."

Xia Lin drew a deep breath, then slowly calmed down.

"Xin. . .He. . .This isn't Xin," Xia Lin said softly, and Kai Xing was irresistibly reminded of Tsukiko's mother, Sakura.

And he made the horrible connection.

"He. . .Did Xin marry you because of how you looked?" He asked.

Xia Lin did not break down as he expected. Instead she sighed. "No. When he finally courted me. . .it was after I dyed my hair and wore contacts. When I asked why, he told me the truth. . .Kinomoto Sakura had rejected him, so he did not want me to look like her."

She raised her eyes to Kai Xing. "Believe me, he wasn't always a monster. When we first met, he saved me from muggers. He walked away when he saw who I looked like, and when I went after him, he tried to walk away from me. But I was so grateful, I insisted on repaying him by buying him dinner. And. . ." she suddenly smiled, and Kai Xing was surprised at how beautiful she was when she smiled, "when he found out how much younger I was, he was horrified." She chuckled. "He tried to push me away, saying he'd be arrested! But I was persistent. . .And he told me about Sakura. But when I showed up at his bookstore with my hair dyed dark brown, and with blue contacts, he. . ." Xia Lin hugged herself at the memory, "he kissed me, for the first time. He told me he wanted no ghosts of his past between us."

Kai Xing watched her quietly, and listened as her story came out. She was clearly in love with her husband, and Kai Xing was surprised as the story of a gentle, kind Xin came out. He'd left the Li clan after Sakura and Syaoran had hidden their twins, and tried to make his own way in the world, to forget everything. He had calmed down, once Sakura and Syaoran were far away, he'd discovered a world where he was admired for who he was, not as the 'second-rate' Li.

But now he had even worse plans in store for the Lis, and since he knew of Koume's existence, he knew who was helping Sakura and Syaoran. . .And he intended to eliminate the twins before Eriol could team up with his daughter.

And he came to a decision.

"Follow me," he said quietly. "You should be telling the Lis, not me."

"No," Xia Lin stood up. "If Xin shows up, he might kill you if you're in the way. Go home. Just tell me where to go."

"Alright," and Kai Xing sat down to draw her a map.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she said.

"Good luck," Kai Xing said, "with the baby and all."

The mention of the baby made Xia Lin's eyes tear up again, though.

"Poor thing," she said, unconsciously stroking her belly.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko refused to speak to Akatsuki for the rest of the day. Oh, she knew it was childish; both the ranting voice in the back of her head and her brother kept telling her that. But she couldn't help it. She was beyond ticked.

"_We always do things your way," _Akatsuki would say. Or, _"I'm just looking out for you. For all of us."_

So now there she was, laying in bed with the blankets wrapped tightly around her. Her parents had also commented on her odd behaviour, and her only reply was to throw a dirty look at Akatsuki. Who knew what the woman was willing to tell them? To help them? Thank God she had gotten Kai Xing Xing to speak to her, though she hadn't heard back from him yet. . .

She growled again; Akatsuki had ruined their chances at everything!

"Oi, Tsukiko," Akatsuki's voice said from behind her closed bedroom door. "I'm coming in."

"I don't think so," she growled angrily. She raised her voice. "Go away!"

Akatsuki sighed loudly enough for her to hear and opened the door anyway. Kero flew in behind him and over to Tsukiko's bed. Tsukiko immediately sat up and crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed tightly.

"Tsukiko," her brother sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't understand why you're so mad – "

"She was going to help us, aho!" She hissed. "She came to tell us something important. But you ruined that chance! Threw that chance away!"

He sighed yet again and sat on the corner of her bed. "We don't know that. It could have. . .No, it was a trap. So get over it."

"A-HO," Tsukiko stressed each word stubbornly.

"Kid, he's right," Kero spoke up, capturing both of their attentions. "Li is dangerous. And any woman who is psycho enough to actually marry the guy – "

"You're both wrong," she told them firmly. "She was scared. She was being honest. And if you had just listened to me, you would have found out that she was the one who was calling to me in my dreams!"

Akatsuki shook his head, refusing to believe his sister, but before he could say anything else, Tsukiko threw herself back down into bed and pulled the blankets up tightly around her neck. "Oyasumi."

"Demo – "

"Oyasumi, Akatsuki," she repeated, gritting her teeth.

Fuming, he stood up and marched away, slamming the door behind him. Kero sighed and flew up by her head to fall asleep on her pillow.

XxXxXxX

Sakura stood in the doorway of Syaoran's dojo, an amused smile spread across her face. She watched as his body glistened with sweat and he thrust his sword through the air in different stances and attacks. He wore nothing but workout pants that rode low on his hips. She licked her lips, though she knew he wouldn't be watching since he was in workout mode. All his concentration would be on his stances and positions.

Suddenly, a low chuckle from him snapped Sakura out of her reverie. "You just going to watch, Sakura?"

She blushed pink, though couldn't become nearly as embarrassed as when she was a child. Especially since they had been married for nearly twenty years and had been dating for years before that. Though she blushed now because she hadn't expected him to notice her gawking at him; if he ever did before, he never said anything due to his concentration.

Syaoran looked back at her and couldn't help but smile at her coloured cheeks. He turned his sword into a charm and stuffed it into his pants pocket, then walked over to her. He was panting from his workout and small droplets of sweat dripped from the tips of his hair.

Sakura's slight blush left and she smirked seductively. Even after years of being with Syaoran, she could never get over how much his body turned her on.

Syaoran smirked when he reached her and reached out for her face. His voice was low and husky, as if having trouble catching his breath from his workout. "Like what you see?"

Sakura snapped out of her staring once more and looked him in the eye, her eyes dazzling with mischief. "Well, I've seen better."

Syaoran let out a low growl, only making Sakura giggle. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Quickly, Syaoran's arms encircled her and pulled her to his chest. She gave a small gasp into the kiss as he deepened it roughly. When she gasped, he moaned into her mouth.

"Syaoran. . ." Sakura managed to pull away for a second, her voice full of authority.

Syaoran chuckled, tracing small circles on her hip. "They're asleep, Sakura dear. And while babies sleep, parents. . ." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

And before Sakura could protest, Syaoran picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. She squealed, and he shushed her, "Are you trying to wake the children? Tsk, tsk."

Sakura giggled, covering her mouth so she didn't make so much noise. As they went into their room, she noticed that both twins' doors were closed, thankfully. Syaoran kicked the door behind them and gently tossed her onto the bed. He crawled above her and pressed his lips to hers passionately.

Syaoran pulled his lips away from Sakura's, a lustful smile on his face. "Since we didn't get to see Akatsuki and Tsukiko grow up," he said as he began to kiss her gently again, "how about if we," and he practically tore her shirt off, "try for another Li?"

"Bad boy," Sakura said, but she raised her arms to help him when he removed the rest of her clothes and cupped his face in her hands. She kissed him back passionately, and Syaoran groaned her name.

"Kami-sama, aishiteru," he gasped as he kissed her.

"Likewise," Sakura whispered back, then she began to gasp as he began to kiss and fondle her.

XxXxXxX

Tsukiko was walking past her parents' bedroom to get a drink of water downstairs when a soft gasp alerted her. _Okaa-san!_

She ran to Akatsuki's room after finding Sakura and Syaoran's room locked. She burst in, startling her brother.

"What?" Akatsuki looked up from his laptop screen in alarm. He summoned his sword upon seeing his sister's expression, and followed her down the hall.

"I. . .I heard okaa-san moaning," she whispered.

Akatsuki tightened his grip on his sword. "I told you that woman was trouble!" he hissed, unable to resist rubbing Tsukiko's nose in it. "For all we know she broke in and is killing our parents now!"

"Shut up and let's help okaa-san and otou-san," Tsukiko said as she summoned her own powers.

Akatsuki shoved his sister behind him, ignoring her squeak of protest.

"I'm stronger than you, remember?" She hissed at him.

He ignored her and put his ear to the door of Sakura and Syaoran's bedroom. Now they could hear groans from Syaoran, and Akatsuki held up a hand to stop his sister.

Tsukiko was surprised when he turned around, beet red.

"Nani?"

"Don't. . .Go back to your room," he ordered, pushing her back towards her room.

"I've had enough of you ordering me around! What's going on?" she snarled, struggling against him.

Akatsuki couldn't look her in the eye. "Just. . .Please," there was a note of begging in his voice she hadn't heard before.

Just then a soft, 'Oh God, Syaoran!' emanated from the door.

"They're in trouble!" Tsukiko was held back by her brother's strong arms.

"Just go back to bed. Okay? Please." He sounded desperate

"But why won't you explain it to me? Why are they. . ."

Akatsuki folded his arms and stared at his sister. Though he was still red with embarrassment, he was also glaring at her in an uncanny imitation of their father.

When two soft 'Oh!'s issued from the door, accompanied by a soft, rhythmic pounding sound, Tsukiko put a hand over her mouth.

"Are they. . .Oh my God. . .Akatsuki. . ."

"Shut up and go back to bed." Akatsuki then fled into his bedroom and slammed the door.

Tsukiko sniggered at her brother's reaction, but when she heard Syaoran cry out in pleasure, she turned red, and likewise fled into her own bedroom.

"What was it?" Kero asked.

"N. . .Nothing!" She killed the light, grabbed a pillow and slammed it over her ears. "Oyasumi!"

XxXxXxX

Inside, several minutes later, Sakura and Syaoran lay caressing each other gently.

Syaoran kissed his wife tenderly. "Am I glad we can still use the Cards for privacy. I think we're going to need Silent more often these days," he grinned.

"HOE!" Syaoran sat up, startled, as Sakura turned red. "Kami-sama! I. . .I forgot to. . .Are the twins asleep. . ? Oh. . ." She hid under the sheets, and Syaoran laughed; he hadn't heard that from her in so long and now it was like music to his ears. "They're old enough to understand, believe me."

"So you say," Sakura said doubtfully.

Syaoran pulled her back into his embrace. "Now bring out Silent and. . ." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively again, "let's obey the 'practice makes perfect' rule."

Syaoran had only begun to caress his beloved wife again when the doorbell suddenly rang.

"Ignore it," he groaned, "Kami-sama, don't these salespeople sleep?"

But Sakura was already up and putting on a dressing gown.

"Someone. . .Can't you sense it?" Sakura's eyes were wide.

"Sense what?" Syaoran, still high on the euphoria of their lovemaking, was oblivious to all around them. He grabbed her from behind and nuzzled her neck.

"Someone who is terrified is at the door. They will need help," Sakura said firmly. She tossed Syaoran's clothes at him. "Please, hun. Hurry and come with me."

Syaoran muttered under his breath, something about "I'd rather come with you in bed."

Sakura glared at him playfully. "That can wait, you know. Down, boy!"

"Oh all right," he grumbled, and pulled on a shirt and shorts.

With Syaoran trailing at her heels, Sakura looked through the window. A young woman stood at the door, glancing anxiously at it. The fear emanating from her was thick and desperate, and Sakura swallowed. Casting Shield on herself and Syaoran as a precaution, she opened the door. . .

. . .And confronted a younger version of herself.

"L. . .Li Sakura-san?" The girl bowed nervously. "P. . .Please. . .I. . ."

"You," Sakura said softly. "Aren't you. . .My dreams. . ."

The young woman frowned, holding a hand protectively over her belly. "Your children. . .Please, are they safe?"

When Sakura nodded, the younger version of herself began to cry. "Oh thank God he hasn't gotten to them yet! Your children. . .they are in danger!"

XxXxXxX

**Thanks to you all who reviewed!!! ^_^ Means the world to me. I was sick for most of last week and they gave me something to smile at while I was stuck at home LOL**

**And you can all thank _SilentCynara_ for being so smart! LOL. She's the one who made up the character Xia Lin MONTHS ago, probably back in early to mid autumn. The idea of Xin having a wife exploded from there, making Xia Lin her idea. Again, praise her!! As well, she wrote half, if not more than half, of this chapter, and quickly at that!!! Spoke to her Wednesday night and sent her what I wrote...and got it back today ^_^ How awesome is that?! **

**Don't know how quickly I can update...pends on how busy I am and some other things for the next chapter. I'll try to update as FAST AS I CAN THOUGH.**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!! Kind'a like "give a desperate writer a smile" LOL**

**~ Rai**


	34. APOLOGY!

**_SORRY FOR THIS (PLEASE READ):_**

**I know I've been terrible (okay... understatement of the century) with updates. I don't really want to explain myself in detail because, quite frankly, I don't think I can. Long story short... There is just too much going on in my life; In my personal life (friendship wise _and_ family wise) and school life, as exams are fast approaching again and I NEED to get into a good university. And due to this, the beta whom is working with me on the next chapter to "Hoshi no Kodomo", and I have not been able to get together enough to finish the chapter. It's nearly done, but it's been that way for a a bit now. There's just too much stuff going on in my life and hers at the moment.**

**Sorry if it sounds like I'm making an excuse, because I'm not. I'm going through a lot of CRAP (and if you know me... I do NOT swear, so for me to say this, it means I'm more than serious and this is major) in my life and I cannot deal with the pressure of trying to write these stories to meet their potential AND figure out life right now AND stay on top of school work. It's hard enough trying to stay on top of the school work. **

**Therefore, _"Ichidou"_ will not be finished, I am sad to say. If, however, someone wishes to take over the story, please PM me and we'll talk. Other than that, I knew where the story was going once... And now I'm lost.**

**With _"Hoshi no Kodomo"_... I've come way too far in that one to NOT finish it. I WILL finish it, just not now. And when I do get around to updating, which I hope will be before school finishes but no promises, the updates will be one right after the other for a quick finish. There aren't that many chapters left.**

**I am sorry to disappoint... But, as some of you know, things just come up. And if it was small, I would say "oh well" and keep going. But these problems AREN'T small and I can't toss them aside. These, as dramatically as it sounds, are turning my world upside down right now. And I feel absolutely wretched for not being able to A) continue the one story... B) update HnK... and C) put anything new up. **

**I don't want to close down my account... And I probably won't... But please accept my apology and don't be mad at me. Please?**

**Again... If anyone WANTS to take over "Ichidou" and ALREADY HAS IDEAS... Please PM me and maybe we can work something out.**

**Sorry... And thank you for all your support.**

**~Raina**


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